Upon completion of the IACUC's program review and facility inspection, the IACUC must prepare a report to the Institutional Official in accord with the PHS Policy at IV.B.3. The report must contain a description of the nature and extent of the institutions adherence to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) and the Public Health Service Policy (PHS Policy). If program or facility deficiencies are identified during the course of the IACUC's review and inspection, they must be classified by the IACUC as either significant or minor, and a reasonable and specific plan and schedule must be developed for the correction of each deficiency. OLAW recommends that the report to the Institutional Official also include a narrative describing the process of program evaluation and facility inspection, and IACUC findings, positive and negative.

This sample format may be used as a template to prepare the Semiannual Report to the Institutional Official. The Language that appears in RED type will need to be deleted and replaced with dates and narrative as appropriate.

While the IACUC may determine the best means of conducting an evaluation of the institution's programs and facilities, the IACUC remains responsible for the evaluation and report. Final reports of the semiannual evaluations/inspections are considered full committee actions and should be reviewed and endorsed by a majority of the IACUC.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also requires that the reports be reviewed and signed by a majority of the IACUC members. USDA regulations further require that the reports include any minority IACUC views. Any failure to adhere to the plan and schedule that results in a significant deficiency remaining uncorrected is required by USDA to be reported in writing within 15 business days by the IACUC, through the Institutional Official, to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and any Federal agency funding that activity.

Semiannual program and facility review reports should be submitted to OLAW only if requested, or if the institution is submitting a new or renewal Animal Welfare Assurance and is not accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC International).

Go To SAMPLE FORMAT

Please e-mail questions and comments to olaw@od.nih.gov:

Sample Documents || Annual Report to OLAW
Animal Welfare Assurance || Semiannual Program Review
Semiannual Report || Animal Study Proposal || Tutorial

---

web posting: 2000/03/29 Webmaster