As more of you venture into RATS 2.0, we want to remind you that we have training sessions available to assist you in making the transition to the new system. Basic training provides an introduction to the new system, covering navigation and terminology. Advanced training is limited to those who have already attended a basic session; attendees will receive tips for completing their protocol smartform.
Please contact RATSHelp@research.ucla.edu to register for an upcoming session:
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, July 14 (basic) | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. |
| Friday, July 17 (advanced) | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. |
| Monday, July 20 (basic) | 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, July 23 (advanced) | 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, July 28 (basic) | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. |
| Friday, July 31 (advanced) | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. |
We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming training; meanwhile, here’s a QUICK TIP regarding building blocks:
Before you start updating your protocol in RATS 2.0, you first need to create building blocks, specifically, your substances and procedures. There is a Standard Library of substances and procedures available for you to use (click on the IACUC tab in RATS 2.0 to access the Standard Library). If you cannot find the substances (e.g., medications, drugs, test compounds, etc.) and/or procedures you need for your protocol(s) in the Standard Library, then create your own team substances and procedures. When searching for existing substances, we strongly encourage using a wildcard search, whereby you use the % symbol on either side of part or all of the search term, for example: %buprenor%
To create your team substances and procedures, go to your Research Team workspace, where you will find the “Create Procedure” and “Create Substance” buttons (see screenshot below). The protocol smartform in RATS 2.0 no longer has a Medications and Experimental Drugs section like the protocol form in Legacy RATS did; therefore, all of your substances (standard and/or team) need to be added to a Substance Administration procedure and attached to an Experiment. The building blocks you create can be reused across all of the protocols under your research team, which is great feature of RATS 2.0 and will hopefully reduce administrative burden in the long-run.
Once your building blocks have been created, you can start working on your RATS 2.0 protocol. When creating an experiment, make sure to add all of the standard and/or team procedures associated with that experiment.
If you have any questions about creating your building blocks, refer to the RATS 2.0 Help Center (see screenshot below) or contact RATShelp@research.ucla.edu.
