- Chancellor's Animal Research Committee (ARC) x66308
- Visit the RATS website. A link to RATS can also be found on the ARC website.
Accessing RATS
All current PIs of protocols have been set up as "users" of our system, but new PIs or administrative assistants need to contact the ARC administrative office (arc@research.ucla.edu) to become users of RATS. We use the UCLA Logon ID (formerly known as the Bruin Online ID) and password as our authentication mechanism. You enter your username and password on the RATS login page. To obtain a UCLA Logon ID, go to UCLA Identity and Accounts Manager for information on obtaining an account. (If you have a "yourname@ucla.edu" email address, the "yourname" part of your email address is your UCLA Logon ID.)
Create a New, Renewal, or Breeding Colony Application or an Amendment or Continuation Application
Creating a new protocol or amending/continuing/renewing an existing protocol can all be easily done under your "Main Menu" screen.
To create an entirely new protocol, simply scroll down to the section entitled "Create a New Application" and select the type of application you are creating (e.g., New Research Protocol or New Breeding Colony Protocol).
To create an amendment, continuation, or renewal application for a previously approved study, simply click the appropriate button next to the applicable protocol under the "Most Currently Approved Protocols" section of the Main Menu screen. The option to continue or renew an approved protocol will not appear until 90 days prior to the expiration date of the protocol.
Once you have created your application, the system will guide you through the data entry process by asking you questions and then guiding you through the sections to be completed. Be sure to click "Save" after entering data on each page to save your work before returning to a previous section or proceeding to the next section. Although you can jump to any section in the application by clicking on the menu at the left, we recommend using the navigation (Back and Next buttons) your first time through. Some sections will appear based on answers you give to specific questions.
You don't need to fill out the whole application in one sitting. You can come back to it as many times as you like until you are ready to submit it. The application you created will be listed under the "Pending Applications" section of the Main Menu screen.
Many sections require you to supply text. The easiest way is to first write the information with a word processor, then copy and paste the final copy into your RATS application; this will allow you to spell-check the document prior to including it in your application. (Word processors have much better editing features than RATS!). However, please be aware that some special symbol characters, such as those created using the Symbol font in Microsoft Word, may not display properly.
When you have completed all the relevant sections, you should click on the "View/Print Entire Protocol" menu item (at the bottom) and the full application will be presented in one page for viewing or printing. At this point, the protocol status will be protocol is in draft mode and you can make changes to your protocol.
Submitting the Application for the Pre-Committee Review
You can submit your protocol to for a Pre-Committee Review by the simple click of a button (notice the "Action" links on the bottom of the left side menu). When the protocol is in pre-review, you cannot edit any sections of the protocol until the pre-review has been completed. Once the Pre-Committee Review has been completed, you will be notified via email and your protocol will be returned to you for editing. At this time, the protocol status will be PRE-REVIEW COMPLETE. Click on PRE-REVIEW to view the reviewer's comments. Please be sure that you 1) update the application as needed AND 2) include a point-by-point response in the RESPONSE TO PRE-REVIEW section. After you have edited the application and all required materials are complete, you may submit the application to the ARC. After it is submitted, you will no longer be able to make changes and will be locked out.
Note! A Pre-Committee Review is not required for the following types of applications:- Amendments
- All Applications with experiments done entirely at another institution
- All Tissue Sharing Applications that do not require live animals
What to Complete
Regardless of the type of application submitted, the Research Summary must be completed. Thus, if you are submitting a New application, complete the Research Summary section of the application. Similarly, for Renewal, Continuation or Amendment applications, complete the appropriate summary section (e.g., Renewal Summary, Continuation Summary, Amendment summary).
Also be sure to review and update the Personnel and Pain Literature Search sections of the application (as applicable) with each type of application submitted.
Finally, be sure to answer all questions on the Principal Investigator's Assurance statement and the Faculty Sponsor Assurance (if applicable) prior to submission to the ARC.
When you create Amendments, Continuations, and Renewals for a protocol, all of the data from the previous application will be "pulled forward" and easy to amend.
Updating Sections of An Existing Protocol
Renewal applications should be evaluated to remove completed experiments and “used” animals and to only detail those activities that will be performed in the next 3 year cycle. If you are completing a continuation or an amendment application you only need to update the sections that you are changing from your previously approved protocol. Please do not remove completed experiments or used animals during your continuation or amendment submissions; this should only be done during the renewal process.
Finding a Protocol
Upon logging into RATS, you will be presented with a list of all current protocols and other protocols for which another PI has granted you access. To find a specific protocol, you may also click on "find" in the "protocol" section. You can search on one field, or a number of fields if you would like to narrow your search. Please note that you will only have access to your own protocols or protocols for which you have been given access by another individual.
People
We require your help to keep the contact information for all of your personnel up to date. Click on the People tab at the top of the screen to search for and view all the people in our system. People who are authorized users of the RATS database must update their own information. Once a change is made, it will automatically show up in ALL protocols on which that person's name appears.
Allowing Other Individuals to Create, View or Edit Your Protocols
The principal investigator of the most recent version of a protocol is the "owner" of that protocol and has "full access" to manage it. To allow other users to view, create, and update your protocols, pull up your protocol. You will find a link named "User Access Rights" at the bottom of the left menu. After you click on that menu item, you will then be presented with a list of users that have access to that protocol. You may add an individual as either a READ or a FULL ACCESS user for that protocol by clicking the Add User button. You may wish to allow read-only access to members of your laboratory so that they may access a copy of the protocol but not have editing privileges, or provide another individual such as an administrative assistant with full access to modify or create submissions for the protocol.
Note: If you do not find the user you are looking for after searching for their name or UID number, the person most likely is not a User of RATS. Contact the ARC administrative office (x66308 or arc@research.ucla.edu) so that this person can be created as a RATS user.
Allowing Other Individuals to Submit Your Protocols
If you are the principal investigator, you may allow another individual to create your protocol as well as continuations, renewals, and amendments. However, only the principal investigator may complete the Investigator's Assurance and submit the protocol to the ARC. This is to ensure authenticity of the information and to ensure that the principal investigator has reviewed the application prior to submission.
After Submission to the ARC
Upon submission of the application, the ARC administrative staff will review your submission to ensure the Pre-Review has been completed, check for current Medical History Questionnaires on all personnel, and ensure all personnel have received the required training. Once this has been done, your application will be logged by the ARC administrative staff and you will receive an email Receipt of Application. Following Committee review of your application, you will receive any requests for additional information via email. Upon approval of the application, you will receive your approval notice via email. In order to ensure that you receive these notices, please be certain that the email and office mailing address (including mailcode) listed for you in RATS is correct. (Click on the People tab, find your own name, review and update your information.)
What is the MCAV?
This is the Most Current Approved Version of your protocol and represents your research as it currently stands. Protocols are amended, continued, and renewed over time, so there are many versions of your protocol in RATS. When you want to make changes to an already approved protocol, you must amend the version that is currently approved.
Reminder Notices
Three months prior to expiration of your protocol, you will receive email notification indicating that you should submit either a continuation or renewal application. You are encouraged to submit this application early to avoid any lapse in approval.
What if I Need Help Navigating RATS?
Call us!! We're happy to talk you through the process (x66308).