1. DON’T USE JARGON. Help all IACUC members, including community members, comprehend your application. Define abbreviations. Avoid technical language that only specialists in your field would understand.

2. ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS. If a question does not apply to your study, mark “no” or “not applicable (n/a).”

3. CLEARLY DESCRIBE PROCEDURES. Descriptions of procedures should stand alone and, other than an SOP, should not refer to another document, such as a grant application. List all possible anesthetics.

4. MAKE THE EXPERIMENT DESIGN CLEAR. For more complex experiments, provide a flow chart or a simple outline to help guide reviewers.

5. COMPLETE AND ATTACH APPLICABLE APPENDICES. The online forms are listed separately, allowing you to pick only those that apply to your study.

6. CONTACT ATTENDING VETERINARIAN.   Dr. Fyke is available to guide you. He must be consulted for all protocols having animals in pain categories C or D.

• E-mail him at hfyke@olemiss.edu,
• Visit him at TCRC Room B-104.
• Call him at 915-5324, or

7. COMPLETE ALL REQUIRED TRAINING. Incomplete training delays processing.

8. IF CONDUCTING SURGERY. Complete mandatory training and obtain surgery proficiency certification from the Attending Veterinarian, Dr. Fyke.

9. COMPLETE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ENROLLMENT. The OHSP Risk Inventory and Occupational Health Evaluation forms must be submitted for all personnel listed on/added to a protocol and reviewed/signed by the occupational health physician.

10. PLAN FOR PROCESSING TIME. Approval of protocol applications and/or significant change amendments take a minimum of three weeks and depend on submitting all required forms, office processing time, and time for PI responses to IACUC comments.  

11. SUBMIT APPLICATION ASAP. Submit protocols and amendments via e-mail to iacuc@olemiss.edu  No research may begin until written final approval is received.

12. ALWAYS CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR THE MOST CURRENT FORMS. Use the online forms to avoid delay in processing and/or review. The Animal Research pages of the ORSP website can be found at www.research.olemiss.edu/iacuc. 

13. CONTACT THE IACUC OFFICE. IACUC Office staff want to help and answer your questions.

• E-mail them at iacuc@olemiss.edu 
• Call them at 915-5006, or

Submitting a Personnel Change Amendment to an Animal Study Protocol

1. ENSURE PERSONNEL ADDED TO A PROTOCOL:

a. get the required species specific training, health and safety training, surgery training/certification, etc.;
b. read the asthma and allergy materials;
c. submit health forms;
d. obtain recommended vaccines (tetaus).

Amendment approval will be delayed until these are done.

2. NOTIFY VIVARIUM SUPERVISOR WHEN PERSONNEL/STUDENTS NO LONGER NEED ACCESS TO THE VIVARIUM. Personnel who are no longer working on an animal study protocol should be deleted from the protocol using the Protocol Amendment for Personnel Changes Only.

Submitting Animal Orders  

1. CHECK WITH VIVARIUM SUPERVISOR (x5324 or pboltonl@olemiss.edu):

a. about space, caging, feed and bedding availability before ordering animals;
b. if ordering a large number of animals or a species that has not been housed in a while to make arrangements and before placing order.

Maintaining Animal Logs (i.e., surgery weight logs, use and disposition logs, daily care logs, etc.)

This is a regulatory requirement. Animal facility inspectors will cite PIs if animal logs are not maintained and will report repeat noncompliances to the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).