Background

Protocols must be closed out properly at the conclusion of their three-year approval period or at the conclusion of all animal work. Unless a protocol has been previously closed out, it will be considered closed (expired) upon the day before the third anniversary of its approval date. Principal Investigators (PIs) who wish to continue protocols beyond this initial three-year period must submit a new protocol to the IACUC for approval.

IACUC Standard Operating Procedure

1. At three (3) months and two (2) months prior to protocol expiration an autogenerated email will be sent to PI's notifying them of the upcoming expiration and informing them to renew their protocol if they wish to avoid a lapse in approval.
   1. Following each autogenerated email, the IACUC office will follow-up with a separate email informing PI's about their option to clone a protocol and the protocol submission deadline. The emails will also contain implications for protocol expiration (i.e., transfer of animals to Holding Protocol, no research may continue after expiration). 
2. At one (1) month prior to protocol expiration an autogenerated email will be sent to PIs notifying them of the upcoming expiration and the implications for protocol expiration (i.e., transfer of animals to Holding Protocol, no research may continue after expiration).
3. At one (1) week prior to expiration, the IACUC office will send a separate email reminder about the upcoming submission deadline and will ask the PI if they have live animals that need to be transferred to either a new protocol or the Holding Protocol.
4. One (1) week prior to expiration, an IACUC Holding Protocol form will be emailed separately to the PI informing them to return the form within 24 hours.
   1. If not completed by the PI, the IACUC Holding Protocol Form will be completed by the IACUC Office, with assistance from DLAR.
   2. The IACUC Office will work with DLAR husbandry to get information on the number of cages/animals (by species and strain as applicable).
5. If the protocol expires without a renewal protocol in place, the IACUC Office will notify the PI and his/her department Chair, Veterinarians, Associate Director of the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR), DLAR Team Leader(s), DLAR Business Office and the VA (if applicable), that any animals on the protocol will be moved to the Holding Protocol and that no work can continue on the protocol.
6. DLAR will flag or mark cages/racks/room to ensure that PI and/or lab members are informed that the animals have been moved to the Holding Protocol.

Approved October 2022