The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) ensures that animal research complies with regulations, policies and guidelines for the humane care of animals. IACUC review of live vertebrate animal research includes two to three stages of review prior to approval.

• All protocols are first reviewed by the Animal Research Compliance (ARC) team, part of Research Integrity.
• After necessary modifications are made, next a Brown veterinarian may review the protocol.
• Finally, protocols must be reviewed by the IACUC.

The IACUC is a group of volunteer scientists, non-scientists, veterinarians and community members. All members are required to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to service on the committee and must be available to attend meetings on the first Friday of most months. If you are interested in becoming a member of the IACUC, or have any questions related to the committee and its review processes, contact iacuc@brown.edu.

• Institutional Animal Care and Use
• IACUC Review Process
• Submit Animal Research Protocol
• Access InfoEd
• Visit the InfoEd Knowledge Center
• Access Policies and Directives
• Learn about Occupational Health
• Report an Animal Welfare Concern
• Center for Animal Resources and Education
• OLAW Frequently Asked Questions
• Research Integrity
• Report anonymous concerns

Meeting Dates and Deadlines (2025)

Full Committee Meeting

• January 10, 2025
• February 7, 2025
• March 7, 2025
• April 4, 2025
• May 2, 2025
• June 6, 2025
• July 11, 2025
• August 1, 2025
• September 5, 2025
• October 3, 2025
• November 7, 2025
• December 5, 2025

About IACUC Meeting Reviews

Protocols submitted by new faculty, those involving non-human primates, or those proposing USDA Category E (or equivalent) procedures may be reviewed by Full Committee Review (FCR). Other protocols may be reviewed by delegated content expert IACUC members by Designated Member Review (DMR). However, per federal regulations, the committee reserves the right to call any protocol for FCR at any time, regardless of its approval status.

Federal regulations do not permit expedited or modified reviews, even in cases involving external deadlines, such as funding requirements. Additionally, federal regulations and Brown University's OLAW Assurance mandates a period where all IACUC members are allowed to review submitted protocols. This ensures a thorough and ethical review process that upholds the highest animal welfare standards.

If your protocol requires FCR and the timeline will result in animals not being assigned to a current Brown University IACUC-approved animal use protocol, please review Directive 28.0: Holding Animals Not Covered by Active Animal Care and Use Protocols and contact the Animal Research Compliance (ARC) team immediately at IACUC@brown.edu.

About the IACUC Deadlines

Full Committee Review (FCR) - To ensure timely review, it is recommended that research protocols be submitted in the InfoEd electronic platform (login required) at least 2-3 weeks before the meeting date. This allows sufficient time for pre-review by the Animal Research Compliance team and/or veterinary pre-review before full committee consideration.

Designated Member Review (DMR) – DMR protocols are processed on a rolling basis and should be submitted as soon as possible to avoid delays in obtaining approval.