Before You Begin...
To access RATS you will be required to submit a user name/id and password. See the RATS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for specific instructions for gaining access to RATS.
What to Expect...
You can use RATS to create new protocols and breeding colonies and to monitor the status of your protocol as it makes it's way through the approval process. You can create new protocol and breeding colony applications in RATS. You can also amend, continue, and renew existing protocols and breeding colonies as specified in the Instructions for Animal Use Protocols. After you create a new application, the system will guide you through the data entry process by asking you questions and presenting you with certain sections to be filled out. 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. You can submit your protocol 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 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.
Easy to Navigate...
Navigate through all the sections of this application by clicking on the "Back" and "Next" buttons at the bottom of each page. You can also jump to any section in the application by clicking on the menu at the left. However, we recommend using the navigation your first time through as some sections dynamically appear based on answers to specific questions.
A Building Process...
As you are guided through the pages, each section will be empty until you "add" the new section to the protocol. You do not need to fill out every section. On each page, click the "add" button to view and answer the questions. Click "cancel" if you don't want to fill out a particular section, effectively keeping that section empty. You can always "delete" a section if no longer needed.
Over time, you will create Amendments, Continuations, and Renewals for this protocol. When you create one of these applications, all of the data from the previous application will be "pulled forward" and easy to amend.
Previously Submitted Protocols...
Protocols submitted prior to the implementation of RATS have already been imported into the new system. The principal investigator of the most recent protocol is the "owner" of the protocol and has "full access" to manage it.
The old system did not capture data from all sections of an application, so the data we have imported is limited. Also, since the old system was not in the best shape, there may be discrepancies between what we have and what you know is correct. Please do not be alarmed by this. Feel free to correct these errors when you come across them.
Finding a Protocol...
Upon logging into RATS, a principal investigator will be presented with a list of all their current protocols and other protocols to which another PI has granted them 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 which you have been given access to by another individual.
People...
We require your help to keep the contact information for all of your personnel up to date. Click on the Person tab at the top to search for and view all the people in our system. Since a person may appear on many protocols, you as the PI, can edit any other Person's information unless that Person is also a user of RATS. In that case, only the User may update their information.
User Access...
To allow other users to view, create, and update your protocol, pull up your protocol. You will find a link named "User Access Rights" found on the left menu. After you click on that menu item, you will then be presented with a list of users that have access to your protocols.
We have attempted to make this online submission process as easy as possible. If you have any comments, please let us know. Thank you and happy researching!