In order for institutions using animals for research, teaching, and testing to receive Public Health Service (PHS) funding for such activities, the institution must enter into an agreement with the PHS called an Animal Welfare Assurance.  As part of this agreement the institution must provide an assessment of the general scientific relevance of proposals involving the use of animals.  [The Public Health Service Responds to Commonly Asked Questions, ILAR News, Vol.33 (4):68-70, Fall,1991]

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy performs a fundamental scientific evaluation of each animal use protocol as defined in "Scientific Merit Review: The Role of the IACUC", ILAR News, Vol. 34, (1-2):15-19, Winter/Spring, 1992.  Specifically, Items #I, II, IV, V, VI, VII, and XI of the animal use protocol (Revision 3/25/96) form the basis for the Committee's assessment of the fundamental scientific merit of the proposal.  The signatures of the three primary reviewers of the protocol indicate that the project is considered to be a scientifically valid use of animals.  

In cases involving animal experiments of high ethical costs as determined by the IACUC, additional scientific evaluation of the protocols may be sought from experts in the relevant scientific discipline either from within the College or from another institution.

The IACUC does not normally attempt to perform an in-depth knowledge-based evaluation (as defined in the above referenced 1992 article) of the protocol.  The Committee considers this responsibility to be within the purview of the entity providing funding for the project.

IACUC.SOP.Approved-02/04