IACUC Training Requirements & Application Procedures

The IACUC’s goal is to review applications as expeditiously as possible while still maintaining compliance with federal regulations and review requirements.

IACUC Training Requirements

All investigators and personnel engaged in activities involving animals must be trained in the appropriate care and use of animals. EKU subscribes to the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Lab Animal Welfare online training program, and all individuals involved in animal activities are required to complete the “Working with the IACUC” module. Instructions for registering and using the CITI training modules are available here. CITI Completion Reports for all engaged individuals must be included as attachments to the IACUC application. This training is valid for a period of three years, after which time individuals are required to be recertified through the CITI training program. The initial certification can take several hours to complete and may be completed in multiple sessions. Individuals who are not faculty, staff, or students at EKU who have completed comparable training at another institution may present training documentation for the IACUC’s review.

Steps in the Submission Process

  • Complete the CITI online training course, “Working with the IACUC.” All involved investigators, faculty advisors, students, and personnel are required to complete the training once every three years.
  • Complete and ensure that others involved have completed the Animal Worker Questionnaire.
  • Complete the application form and all required and applicable attachments, including applying for required licenses or permits. You may contact the Attending Veterinarian for guidance on animal care issues.
  • Send all application materials to Sponsored Programs (Lisa.Royalty@eku.edu) for pre-review by the Attending Veterinarian. Documents should be sent in their original file format (Word documents) to allow the Attending Veterinarian to return comments electronically.
  • Finalize the application based on feedback received from the pre-review.
  • Sign the application, secure the signature approval of your department chair, and submit one original of all applicable materials to Sponsored Programs. Copies of training documentation must be included with each protocol submission. Application materials may be mailed to Coates CPO 20 or hand-delivered to Jones 414.
    Sponsored Programs will forward the application materials to the IACUC members for review. You should expect to be contacted by email in approximately two weeks with (1) an approval notification letter; (2) a request to respond to the IACUC’s review comments; or (3) a notification that your application has been referred for full committee review.

The EKU IACUC does not automatically require that applications be reviewed during a convened meeting, but a convened meeting is necessary if either of the following two events occur during the review of the application: (1) any one member requests a review by the full committee during a convened meeting; or (2) the application is not approved unanimously and without qualifications by committee members assigned as designated reviewers. Click here for a detailed description of the protocol review process.