The Review Process in General:

Submissions

• All required documentation and project materials must be submitted via Submittable, the WOU Research Ethic’s online application and form submission system.
• If this is your first submission, you will need to create a profile with Submittable. Importantly, you will need to use the “@mail.wou.edu” version of your email address when providing contact information for your profile.
• The submitting PI will receive a confirmation email and copy of their submission.
• WOU IACUC staff reviews documents and materials for completeness and submission requirements.

Pre-Review

• WOU IACUC staff reviews protocol materials to prepare for IACUC review.
• If staff identify changes necessary before further review can be conducted, an email is sent to the researcher outlining the requested changes.
• If needed, the researcher provides revised materials to the WOU IACUC via Submittable.
• WOU IACUC staff verifies review readiness, assesses level of review, and sends protocol for review.
• The IACUC members will discuss the protocol at the quarterly meetings and decide on the review outcome.

Post-Review Actions, Communications, & Revisions

• WOU IACUC staff communicates review outcome.
• If changes and/or clarification are necessary to secure approval, WOU IACUC staff will contact the PI and provide a comprehensive description of the required clarifications and/or modifications.
• The researcher provides a response to the review and any revised materials (with changes noted/outlined) to the WOU IACUC through the Request for Revisions Form sent to the PI over Submittable.
• WOU IACUC staff verify the changes satisfy the reviewer’s requests. Once satisfied, approval documentation is issued.

Before filling out the application, review the Classification of Animal Use by Pain and Distress Categories document so you can know the highest pain category to select in that section of the application (WOU IACUC – Classification of Animal Use by Pain and Distress Categories).

If this is a new IACUC submission, please complete this application following the guidelines provided below:

1. Please provide responses to each question. Don’t leave any questions blank. Throughout the application, if a question/item does not apply to your protocol, write “N/A”. 
2. Review your application for grammar, spelling, thoroughness, and comprehensiveness. Applications with serious errors in these areas will be returned without review. 
3. If you have questions regarding the IACUC application process, please contact the IACUC Chair, Dr. Gareth Hopkins, at hopkinsg@wou.edu. 
4. Student applications must be reviewed and confirmed by a faculty sponsor. Confirmation from the faculty sponsor will be sought following submission of your application. 
5. All Principal Investigators and research team members, including faculty sponsors involved in student research, must complete training in the ethical conduct of animal subjects research for each taxa that will be involved in the study. This training is offered through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). This training is free to the WOU community free of charge. To complete your training, please visit: https://www.citiprogram.org/ . All researchers/sponsors must submit a CITI completion certificate or have one on file at the time of submission. Note that certifications are valid for three years following training completion and can be renewed every three years thereafter. 

Any questions regarding this application should be directed to iacuc@mail.wou.edu. The WOU IACUC appreciates your dedication to the ethical conduct of animal subjects research at Western Oregon University and your commitment to animal subjects protections.