New Applications and Changes/Modifications to Previously Approved Applications

New Applications

Click here to access UNH Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) application forms.

UNH faculty and staff (including post-doctoral researchers) who plan to use vertebrate animals in research or instructional activities must submit applications for IACUC review prior to commencing the activity. NOTE: Applicants must receive written, unconditional IACUC approval before starting their work with vertebrate animals (that is, the satisfaction of any contingencies stipulated by the IACUC resulting from the review of the application).

The following are important points regarding the application:

• Only UNH faculty (including emeriti) and staff members (including post-doctoral researchers) with appropriate authority and access to facilities and resources may serve as principal investigators/instructors for applications submitted to the IACUC.
• There are two different application forms: one for use of vertebrate animals in RESEARCH and one for use of vertebrate animals in INSTRUCTION. Project directors must ensure that the correct form is used for the intended animal use. Anyone experiencing trouble successfully downloading any of the documents below should contact Kathleen Stilwell at 603-862-3536.
• Effective at the January 2013 IACUC meeting, only applications using the the October 2012 version of the forms will be accepted. Applications using prior versions of the form will be returned.

Studies submitted to the IACUC for review must comprise a completed application form, including appropriate signatures.  Completed applications need to be submitted to Research Integrity Services, either via email (to Julie Simpson or Kathleen Stilwell), fax (603-862-3564), or campus/US mail (Service Building, 51 College Road, Durham, NH 03824-3585).

At UNH, there is only one level of IACUC review, which occurs at a convened IACUC meeting. Project directors must submit applications to the IACUC for review according to the meeting schedule. The schedule applies to all projects involving vertebrate animals.

Applications are reviewed by the IACUC in the order they are received in the Research Integrity Services (RIS) office (first-come, first-served). While applications received on or before the appropriate deadline are normally reviewed at the next meeting, circumstances may arise that prevent the IACUC from reviewing an application within a month of receipt.

Principal investigators/instructors are invited to present their applications at IACUC meetings. Only principal investigators/instructors or co-investigators/co-instructors listed on the application at the time of submission who are UNH faculty or staff may present in-person at IACUC meetings. Upon receipt of an application in RIS, RIS staff will ask applicants whether they plan to present their protocol at the meeting. Individuals planning to present their application will be emailed an approximate time to be present at the meeting and the location of the meeting.

Project directors should plan plenty of lead time when submitting applications to the IACUC. Click here for a flow chart depicting the IACUC application review process.

Changes/Modifications to Previously Approved Applications

Changes/modifications to an IACUC-approved project must be reviewed and approved by the IACUC PRIOR to their implementation. Requested modifications to IACUC-approved research and instructional protocols are considered either minor or major. To ascertain whether a proposed modification is major or minor, click here to access the document, Procedures for Requesting Modifications to IACUC-Approved Protocols.

To request changes/modifications to an existing project, submit a request to Research Integrity Services, either via email (to Julie Simpson or Kathleen Stilwell), fax (603-862-3564), or campus/US mail (Service Building, 51 College Road, Durham, NH 03824-3585).