Office of Research Protocol Suspension

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to describe the process for suspension of an Animal Care and Use Protocol by the UC Davis Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or Attending Veterinarian (AV).

Policy

The IACUC or AV may suspend any or all animal-related activities associated with an approved protocol if the IACUC or AV determines that these activities present an animal welfare or safety concern (through either non-compliance with established policies, procedures or protocols, or by wrongful or abusive treatment of an animal).

Procedures

The IACUC may suspend an activity only after (1) review at a convened meeting of the IACUC, and (2) a majority of the quorum vote in favor of a suspension. If the IACUC suspends an activity involving animals, the Institutional Official (IO), in consultation with the IACUC, will review the reasons for the suspension, take appropriate action to correct the situation, prevent a recurrence, and report the activity as deemed appropriate to the USDA and the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (if the research is funded by the US Public Health Service), as well as any related funding agencies, in accordance with their specific policies.

The Principal Investigator (PI) will be notified in writing of the suspension as well as of any actions that are required in order to lift the suspension. Any remaining animals from the protocol will be transferred to the campus holding protocol and they cannot be used for research until the suspension has ended.

The AV, or designee, may suspend animal-related protocol activities prior to IACUC review, if warranted, because of serious and urgent animal welfare and safety concerns. The initial notification of suspension will be verbal followed by written documentation to the PI from the IACUC.

As opposed to a complete suspension of any or all protocol activities, the AV or AV designee may halt further experimental procedures until a more informed way of proceeding is decided upon. For example, this may include necropsy results, re-evaluation of procedure details, or further training.

References

OLAW: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/faqs.htm#IACUC_9

USDA AWR 2.31(c)(8)

Procedure: IACUC-11
Date: September 19, 2019
Enabled By: APHIS, OLAW
Supersedes: November 05, 2015