In order to fulfill regulatory requirements, the IACUC must provide a means whereby all animal users can report incidents of non-compliance with regulatory standards of animal care and use established by the USDA and NIH.  Non-compliance may take on many forms, including but not limited to, mishandling of animals, inappropriate housing, deviation from an approved protocol, etc.

The IACUC has instituted a program in order to report incidents of non-compliance.  As part of this program, a "NEOUCOM Animal Incident Report" form is available for use.  As this is meant to be an anonymous process, these forms are pre-numbered and posted throughout the CMU.  If an individual decides to report such an incident, he or she fills out a pre-numbered form and returns the completed form anonymously to either the IACUC Coordinator or IACUC Chairperson.  Upon receipt and review of the incident report, the IACUC Chairperson will initiate an investigation.  If necessary, the Chairperson will assign an IACUC Subcommittee to assist in the investigation.  Upon completion of the investigation, the IACUC Chairperson will report back to the IACUC, which then will decide the final outcome.

As this is an anonymous form, the reporting individual should keep a record of the number on top of the form and contact the IACUC Chairperson to inquire about the final outcome of the reported incident.  Incident reports will be kept on file in accordance with all USDA and NIH guidelines.

Note:  If you have any questions regarding the use of this form, please contact the IACUC chairperson or the IACUC coordinator.

IACUC.SOP.Approved-04/98