As you are aware, Federal regulations require the ARC to review all animal activities conducted at UCLA.
Over the past few years, the ARC has significantly reduced the turnaround time for approval of protocols, while maintaining the same high level of review. However, with UC mandated furloughs and an ever increasing workload, the ARC faces challenges to maintain the same level of efficiency. We therefore ask your help to streamline the review process by following these suggestions:
Communicating with ARC Staff:
- Have your protocol number available at the time of your call. Please also include your protocol number in emails to the ARC.
- Whenever possible please email your questions rather than call. This will allow ARC staff to process applications with minimal interruption. Please be assured that staff will return your email within 24 hours. For more urgent matters, please call our office.
- Please ensure that the person appointed with contacting the ARC is knowledgeable of your study and the issue at hand. This will allow the ARC staff to provide the best possible advice.
- Notify ARC staff immediately of any urgent requests, including funding deadlines. This will allow staff to prioritize their workload. Please limit special requests to only those matters that are indeed urgent.
Protocol Review:
- Ensure that each section of the application is complete prior to submission.
- Respond to all questions in a detailed, point by point manner explaining how you have addressed the Committee’s questions and concerns. “Done” is generally not a sufficient response.
- Please ensure that you’ve provided scientific justification for the number of animals requested and that the numbers are consistent throughout the protocol.
- Do not cut-and-paste information from your grant into the application. The information included should correspond to the questions asked in each section.
- Renewal applications: Ensure that the information provided reflects what is currently being conducted. Delete all completed experiments.
- Do not duplicate (cut-and-paste) text into multiple sections. This practice will make your protocol needlessly long, and add to increasing inconsistency as the protocol evolves.
- When adding a new funding source, please ensure that you send the grant (via email) to the ARC. The reviewers are required to ensure congruency between the grant and protocol, so submitting the grant with your application expedites the process.
- Do not include detailed in vitro procedures in your description of activities. The ARC protocol should focus on the use of live animals; in vitro analyses need only be mentioned with relation to how these impact animal numbers and/or in vivo procedures.
- When you submit your application, make sure you SUBMIT your application. Submission is a “two-click” process: First, click the “Submit to ARC” link, then click “Submit this protocol to the ARC.” The status must change to Submitted for the application to officially be submitted.
- If while submitting your application you notice warnings regarding training, please continue to submit your application. You may complete those training/certification issues while your application is being processed.