Investigator Responsibilities

The Principal Investigator (PI) has overall responsibility of laboratory personnel handling animals in his or her lab and in animal facilities.

  • Establish a culture of compliance
  • PIs must abide by the application certification statements
  • PIs and all animal handlers must read the applications and amendments after approval and be trained in relevant animal procedures
  • Establish a 24-hour contact number so that Laboratory Animal Resources (LAR) can contact lab personnel at any time to ask animal health related questions
  • The Principal Investigator (PI) is responsible for all aspects of an approved animal use application.

Ensure adequate training of personnel handling animals on the approved protocol

  • It is advised to establish an acting manager to train lab personnel and to coordinate activities of the laboratory
  • Ensure that all animal handlers are familiar with animal care and use responsibilities, regulations, and policies
  • Ensure that personnel who speak English as a second language fully understand and adhere to the protocol and the IACUC and ORIP policies

Application Administration

  • Get renewals and applications to IACUC on time
  • Application submissions deadlines are listed on the IACUC calendar.
  • IACUC suggests that PI’s send continuation applications a month early if possible to avoid situations where there are animals in-house on an expired protocol.