Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee

Cayuse Animal Oversight system

Mission

The Sam Houston State University(SHSU) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees all aspects of SHSU animal care and use programs for teaching and research. The President of SHSU makes all IACUC appointments. The IACUC reviews all animal use protocols, ensures compliance with federal regulations, inspects animal facilities and laboratories, and oversees animal training and educational programs. The IACUC serves as a resource to faculty, investigators, technicians, students, staff, and administrators and provides guidance for conducting all animal use procedures with the highest scientific, humane, and ethical principles.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Regulatory Charges

  • Overseeing the use of vertebrate animals for research and teaching
  • Establishing policies for ethical animal use and ensuring that such use is compliant with federal, state, and local regulations
  • Reviewing all animal use protocols and modifications requesting approval for the use of vertebrate animals
  • While animal welfare is the responsibility of every individual working with animals at SHSU, the IACUC is mandated to investigate and ensure correction of all reported animal welfare concerns and report any animal welfare issues to the Institutional Official and the regulatory agencies as required.
  • Overseeing animal husbandry and veterinary care provided to animals on the SHSU campus.
  • Overseeing training of faculty, students and staff on the use of experimental animals.
  • Inspecting all areas where animals are housed and used on a regular basis.
  • Reviewing the institution’s program for animal care and use at least twice a year (semiannually).
  • Performing post-approval monitoring of approved animal use protocols and modifications.
  • Resources

    Welcome to the Cayuse IACUC resources page! To learn more about how to submit your proposals in the new system, there are resources listed below to get you started after you have registered for access to the system. Cayuse IACUC is only supported in the Chrome, Safari, and Firefox browsers.

    Please note that effective September 1, 2020, the IACUC office will no longer accept proposals using the old paper application forms. Any faculty or student conducting research involving live vertebrate animals must transition to the new Cayuse IACUC electronic application submission system. To access Cayuse Animal Oversight, click the second button at the top of this page..

    To apply for access to Cayuse Animal Oversight please fill out the registration form by clicking the button at the top of this page.

    Cayuse IACUC Training Resources

    Starting your Protocol

    Completing Table of Contents

    Filling out your Protocol

    Submitting your Protocol

    Forms

    Owner Consent Form

    Animal Care and Use Form X - Exempt Review Application

    AALAS Learning Library

    The AALAS Learning Library provides training that is essential for faculty, staff, and students working with animal in a research or education setting. SHSU currently only has access to the free courses found here. Please consider incorporating this valuable training into your courses or research programs.

    AWIC Alternatives Literature Search

    Need assistance conducting an alternatives literature search? The USDA National Agricultural Library’s Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) offers free alternatives literature searching support. Fill out their request form and email it along with your animal use protocol (if you are able to) to awic@usda.gov. The request form can be found at the top of AWIC’s Literature Searching webpage under “Request a Literature Search”. You can also use this webpage for step-by-step guidance on conducting your own alternatives search, frequently asked questions, and other resources. If a search is requested from AWIC, results are typically returned within 10 business days.

  • Review Process

    The IACUC will not be meeting during the summer unless absolutely necessary. All Animal Use Protocols (AUPs) will be processed by the Designated Member Review (DMR) procedures. Please allow for up to 2 weeks for a typical AUP DMR review. If you have questions/concerns, please contact Sharla Miles.

    Effective immediately, the IACUC has unanimously approved that all current IACUC submissions MUST be received by the ORSP by 5:00 pm on the Monday of the week an IACUC meeting is to occur.

    IACUC applications are processed in the order received, and typically take two to three weeks to be processed. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee meets in full approximately once a month during the fall and spring semesters.



    IACUC Exempt Review Flowchart

    IACUC Review Determination Flowchart
  • PHS Assurance

    Official SHSU PHS#: D19-01078

    Public Health Service Information

    No activity involving animals may be conducted or supported by the PHS until the institution conducting the activity has provided a written Assurance acceptable to the PHS, setting forth compliance with this Policy. Assurances shall be submitted to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health. The Assurance shall be signed by the Institutional Official. OLAW will provide the institution with necessary instructions and an example of an acceptable Assurance. All Assurances submitted to the PHS in accordance with this Policy will be evaluated by OLAW to determine the adequacy of the institution's proposed program for the care and use of animals in PHS-conducted or supported activities. On the basis of this evaluation, OLAW may approve or disapprove the Assurance, or negotiate an approvable Assurance with the institution. Approval of an Assurance will be for a specified period of time (no longer than five years) after which time the institution must submit a new Assurance to OLAW. OLAW may limit the period during which any particular approved Assurance shall remain effective or otherwise condition, restrict, or withdraw approval. Without an applicable PHS-approved Assurance no PHS-conducted or supported activity involving animals at the institution will be permitted to continue.

    For the purpose of writing grant proposals, the Public Health Service (PHS) assurance number for Sam Houston State University is #D19-01078.

  • Occupational Health & Safety

    All SHSU personnel (faculty, staff, and students) named in an IACUC protocol who are using live vertebrate animals and need access to SHSU’s vivarium are required to enroll in SHSU’s Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP). This entails completing Occupational Health Evaluation and Risk Inventory forms. To enroll in the OHSP, please complete the forms below.

    SHSU and Concentra Health Evaluation forms

    Risk Inventory form

    Personnel must submit the completed Concentra and SHSU health forms via encrypted email to Concentra Medical Center who will work with the designated health care physician for obtaining specific recommendations. The health forms, which will include the physician’s recommendations (if any) will be securely scanned into SHSU’s Concentra portal, which is in keeping with federal, state and local HIPAA regulations.

    When the IACUC Administrator receives the physician’s recommendations through the secure portal, this information will be logged into the database, and the recommendations from the health care provider will be mailed to the researcher(s).

    Additionally, all personnel must complete a risk assessment questionnaire to be submitted to the OHSP Administrator (Sharla Miles) who will work with EHS for obtaining specific recommendations. All completed risk inventory questionnaires, which will include any EHS recommendations (if any), will be securely stored in the SHSU IACUC office for all personnel working with animals. Before access to the vivarium will be granted, both sets of recommendations must be on file with the OHSP Administrator.

    Medical clearance from the OHSP must be completed before any new IACUC protocols will be approved.

    If you have any questions regarding the Occupational Health and Safety Program, please contact Sharla Miles by email

    Send Email
  • Reporting Animal Welfare Concerns

    Animal Welfare Concerns

    Sam Houston State University is committed to the humane and ethical treatment of animals. In the case of emergencies or to report concerns related to the care and use of animals, animal health, or environmental conditions, please contact one of the following numbers below.

    WHAT TO REPORT?

    • Animals being used for research or instruction without an IACUC approval, or
    • An incidence of animal abuse or neglect on Sam Houston State facilities or by Sam Houston State students, faculty, or staff

    HOW TO REPORT?

    Call one of the following individuals:

    • Dr. Chad Hargrave, Associate Provost/Chief Research Officer  936-294-1538
    • Dr. Marcy Beverly, IACUC Chair 936-294-1222

    IF YOU PREFER TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS

      Anyone with knowledge about potential non-compliance with laws, regulations, or policies, or ethical violations is encouraged to report their concerns. Two methods are available. Learn more here.

      TO REPORT AN EMERGENCY SITUATION

      To report an emergency situation involving an animal on Sam Houston State property:

      Report Adverse Events

      All reports will be referred to the SHSU IACUC for review, and if warranted, investigated to determine the appropriate corrective actions needed.