Step 5: Closing a Study/IACUC Protocol

At the end of your 3-year approval period or if you decide to close your IACUC protocol at an earlier date, a Final Animal Usage Submission must be filled out and submitted to the IACUC office through RED to deactivate the protocol. This form allows you to enter how many total animals were used to support this work and if any complications were reported. New 3-year rewrites will not be approved until the final animal usage document has been received in the IACUC office. 

Expired protocols and federal funding

PIs receive 90, 60 and 30-day notices that their IACUC application is due to expire. The IACUC cannot extend approval of a protocol beyond its expiration date. Animal use under an expired protocol is a violation of federal regulations and NC State University policy. 

A 10-day notice is sent prior to expiration with the intent that the PI will arrange with the appropriate facility manager to transfer any animals in-house to a Holding Protocol at this time to avoid reportable non-compliance.

Animals held under a Holding Protocol will not be available for manipulation by the research staff. Breeding activities performed by facility staff must be given prior approval by the UAV arranged with the facility manager.

Guidelines for Departing Investigators

PIs leaving NC State are responsible for notifying the  IACUC Office in advance of their departure date to make arrangements for any current IACUC protocols and animals. All IACUC protocols under a departing PI must be closed, and arrangements must be made for the transfer or disposition of animals under the protocol(s) (prior to closure), or the protocol must be transferred to another PI and approved via RED.

If a PI departs without making prior arrangements, any animals remaining on a departed PI’s IACUC protocol(s) will be transferred to an approved Holding Protocol and the protocol(s) will be closed within 7 days. Studies may not continue on animals assigned to an IACUC protocol that has been closed. If no prior arrangements were made for the disposition of the animals (export, transfer, or euthanasia), their disposition will be determined by the Attending Veterinarian. 

All expenses incurred while assigned to the Holding Protocol still remain the responsibility of the original PI or their department. 

At Least 60 Days Prior to Departure

Contact the IACUC Office via email to inform them of your departure and date of termination.

Begin making arrangements for animals on any of your approved IACUC protocols: 

• If exporting animals to another institution, contact the facility manager where your animals are housed and email the Export Control Office.
• If transferring animals to another IACUC protocol, use the facility transfer form to initiate the transfer process.

Animals that have undergone experimental manipulations may not be transferred to another protocol unless the transfer is approved by the IACUC in the original IACUC protocol

At Least 30 Days Prior to Departure

If transferring your IACUC protocol to another Principal Investigator, the original PI must submit an amendment requesting the change (for each protocol) via RED for IACUC review and approval. 

Before Your Termination Date

Confirm that all IACUC protocols have been closed or transferred to another PI.

Verify that animal disposition (export, transfer, or euthanasia) has been completed.