NIH Requirements for Funding Applications Involving Vertebrate Animals

The NIH requires a Vertebrate Animal Section in all funding proposals that involve vertebrate animals. Guidance on how to complete this section can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-049.html.

The SF424 (R&R) application also requests the following:

• Are vertebrate animals used? [Answer “Yes”]

• Is the IACUC* review pending? [Answer “Yes”]
  *Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

• IACUC approval date: [Leave blank.]
  Please DO NOT insert an IACUC approval date even if you plan to use a protocol approved in the past for the procedures detailed in the current proposal. The current proposal must be verified before insertion of an IACUC approval date, which is done with just-in-time information after notice of funding is received from the NIH.

• Animal Welfare Assurance Number [Insert the Tufts assurance number for the location where the work will be conducted (Boston, Medford, Grafton, or HNRCA)]

Once you have submitted your funding proposal, please request IACUC approval of any protocols in the proposal that have not yet been submitted to or approved by the IACUCs of Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center. To request approval, the researcher logs in to the password-protected IACUC website (see email contact information below), downloads and completes the Protocol Form and any required supplements, and emails the documents to the IACUC (email address available on IACUC website). The IACUC meets once a month to review protocols. Information requested in the Protocol Form is similar to that requested in the NIH Vertebrate Animal Section.

As soon as you receive a fundable priority score for your proposal, please log in to the IACUC website, download and complete the Funding Proposal Review Form, and email the IACUC this form along with a copy of your proposal and a list of approved protocols used in the proposal. The IACUC will review the documents and verify that the protocols described in the proposal have been approved by the IACUC. When IACUC review is complete, an IACUC staff member will email a verification letter, which includes the IACUC approval date, to the principal investigator and to the Office of Research Administration, which provides the funding agency with the IACUC approval date (and the IACUC verification letter if requested). The NIH will not release grant funding until they receive IACUC verification that all protocols described in the proposal have been approved.

For information on the password-protected website, please contact IACUC Manager Valerie Parkison at (617) 636-5612 or valerie.parkison@tufts.edu.