IACUC - Post Approval Activities
Jump To:
- DLAR Services and Reporting
- Semi-Annual Inspections
- Post Approval Monitoring Program
- AAALAC Site Visits
After a protocol has been approved and the PI begins work, there are several post approval activities that the PI should be mindful of. Information about submitting amendments can be found on our Submit a Protocol or Amendment page.
DLAR Services and Reporting
Department of Laboratory Animal Research (DLAR) can assist researchers with everything from animal facility access, lab-specific and facility training, procurement of animals and supplies, and fee-based services such as daily animal care in centrally-managed facilities, imaging services, and room and equipment reservations. DLAR also offers guidance and consultations for housing locations, procedures, surgeries, health and pain scoring, humane endpoints and more. For more information, visit the DLAR website.
ALL adverse events, animal care concerns, and unexpected health issues and deaths must be reported to the University Attending Veterinarian (vets@umd.edu) and the IACUC (iacuc@umd.edu). Provide as much relevant and accurate information as possible in your correspondence and someone may reach out for more information or with next steps as soon as possible. For additional information about animal health reports, see DLAR’s Veterinary Care and Services webpage for more information and contact information.
Semi-Annual Inspections
Our goal is to ensure that laboratory animals receive the highest quality care and to protect and ensure the health of personnel who work with animals at UMD. A high-quality animal care and use program meets those goals, while simultaneously ensuring excellence in teaching and research.
Semi-Annual Inspections are the primary mechanism by which the UMD IACUC reviews the facilities and laboratories where animal work is performed. Each inspection team is comprised of individuals with various backgrounds in research, teaching or safety/hygiene in order to conduct a multi-faceted. We acknowledge that, consequently, there may be differences in some of the specific questions and comments a particular team may have from one inspection to the next.
No special preparation of the facility should be required. We trust that UMD researchers and facilities personnel operate in compliance with the SOPs related to their protocol, IACUC policies, and the Guide, but we know that a reference for what kinds of items the inspection teams typically look for might be helpful. Researchers may refer to the Animal Facility and Laboratory Checklist (DOCX).
Inspection FAQs
Why do we perform inspections?
Federal regulations require us to inspect our facilities and review our program at least once every six months. In addition to meeting our regulatory requirements, inspections allow us to ensure the highest quality safety and health of the animals and personnel engaged in animal research activities.
These also provide us with an opportunity to identify programmatic and ongoing deficiencies before they become reportable non-compliance issues.
What spaces get inspected?
ALL areas in which live animals are housed, undergo procedures (such as surgery) or are euthanized and also…
ALL areas that are utilized for animal research support including storage areas, cage wash areas, corridors within dedicated large vivaria, imaging facilities, and more.
These areas include centralized and satellite facilities where animal care is provided by dedicated staff, as well as Principal Investigator, or PI-managed facilities where animal care is completely provided by the PI and/or other trained lab members.
Who performs the inspections?
Generally speaking, at least two members of the IACUC must be present at the inspection of each space, and all members of the IACUC are invited to participate in the inspection of any space.
For larger spaces, like the farms or our larger vivaria, the IACUC may use larger groups or sub-groups of inspectors who will look at different parts of the facility.
How can I prepare for an inspection?
Broadly, inspectors look for findings pertaining to information found in regulatory documents like the Animal Welfare Act and the PHS Policy, as well as publications like the Guide, the Ag Guide, and others. We also have institutional standards and guidelines.
UMD researchers and facilities personnel are expected to operate in compliance with these standards in an ongoing basis, so no special preparation should be required. We provide our Inspection Checklist (DOCX) publicly on our website and in IRBnet for all inspectors and researchers to refer to at any time, but it is especially important to familiarize yourself with the checklist before each inspection round.
Inspections FAQs PDF available upon request. Click here to email the IACUC Office.
Inspections FAQs PDF available upon request. Click here to email the IACUC Office.
Post Approval Monitoring Program
A second common method of review is performed through our Post-Approval Monitoring program, which follows up on specific procedures after they have been approved by the IACUC—typically, early on in their implementation in the laboratory. The purpose of the PAM program is to monitor procedures, experiments, husbandry and general daily activities of approved protocols and SOPs in order to identify excellence in animal use activities, provide education, help ensure compliance and prevent experimental drift. Any laboratory or facility may be randomly selected for audit, but spaces meeting the following criteria are more likely to be selected:
- USDA pain categories D and E
- USDA regulated species
- Survival surgery
- Food/Water restrictions and long-term restraint
- Experimentally caused morbidity/mortality
- Protocols with exceptions to the Guide
- Labs/Facilities with previous compliance issues
- Request of the IACUC or animal facility
- Repeat or significant findings from semi-annual inspections
Again, no special preparation of the space should be required as all personnel working on animal research should be trained appropriately and have knowledge of the protocol and standards associated with it. Any animal care, husbandry and housing should be maintained and documented in a manner consistent with the Guide (PDF) (or the Ag Guide [PDF], if appropriate).
AAALAC Site Visits
Every three years, the University of Maryland Animal Care Program is assessed for reaccreditation by Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International, which send a multidisciplinary team to visit all of our facilities, review our documentation, and interact with faculty, staff and students doing work on animal research projects. In an effort to help you understand what to expect and what kinds of things may need special attention in your lab or facility, please refer to the following checklists:
- Agricultural Facilities (PDF)
- Aquatic Facilities (PDF)
- Bird and Terrestrial Reptile Facilities (PDF)
- Small Mammal Facilities (PDF)
- PI-Managed Facilities (PDF)
We greatly appreciate all of the efforts made towards this accreditation process—your help is invaluable! If you have questions, please feel from to contact the IACUC Office, or the Office of the Attending Veterinarian.
AAALAC FAQs PDF available upon request. Click here to email the IACUC Office.