We do not allow any research that will cause our animals harm, and to ensure animal safety, all project proposals must be reviewed and approved before research can begin.   In addition, due to the large number of ongoing projects, we must carefully consider conflicts in animal use among projects.  We therefore require a Research Proposal from all potential researchers in order to assess project procedures and design, number and of animals required and frequency of use, and the scientific merit of the proposed research.

Any projects requiring animal manipulation (as defined by interacting with the animal in any way:  major manipulation refers to anything requiring catching or handling an animal; minor manipulation refers to trials conducted in an animal’s enclosure, such as introducing objects, sounds, or testing devices, diet manipulation, etc.) must be approved both by the Duke Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the DLC Research Committee.  The approval process for manipulative process generally takes 4-6 weeks.

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If you are interested in conducting a of manipulative live animal use project:

1. Contact the DLC Research Manager (Dr.Erin Ehmke,erin.ehmke@duke.edu) to discuss animal availability and project feasibility.
2. You will be sent Project Proposal forms appropriate for your project, including template IACUC forms with DLC-specific information already filled out, and  a DLC Budget Form containing schedule and fee information.
3. The Animal Use form should be completed and sent directly to IACUC .  The IACUC meets monthly, and submission deadlines and review dates can be found at http://vetmed.duhs.duke.edu/index_of_iacuc_home.htm
4. The Budget form should be completed and returned  to the DLC Research Manager.
5. IACUC will forward all protocols that include DLC animal use to the DLC Research Manager and subsequently to the DLC Research Committee, which will review them before the next scheduled IACUC review date.  Any concerns or changes required are identified and communicated to the researcher and to IACUC.  If approved by the DLC, “DLC Clearance” is sent to IACUC.
6. IACUC reviews the protocol and notice of the approval decision is sent to the researcher and to the DLC.
7. IACUC will not approve any protocol that does not have DLC clearance.
8. The DLC will not allow any research that does not have IACUC approval.

Projects that are observation only and require no animal manipulation fall under an IACUC approved DLC animal observation protocol and therefore need only be approved by the DLC Management Committee.  This approval process generally takes less than two weeks.

If you are interested in conducting a project that is observation only and requires no animal interaction:

1. Contact the DLC Research Manager (Dr. Sarah Zehr, sarah.zehr@duke.edu) to discuss animal availability and project feasibility.
2. You will be sent Project Proposal forms appropriate for your project, including a DLC Research Form, and  a DLC Budget Form containing schedule and fee information.
3. All forms should be completed and returned to the DLC Research Manager.
4. Observation-only projects will be reviewed by the DLC Management Committee, which generally meets every other week.  Any concerns or changes required will be identified and communicated to the researcher.