Protocol Submission
Any individual with Principal Investigator (PI) status wishing to use live vertebrate animals in research or teaching must submit a protocol for IACUC review and approval. A protocol describes all uses of live vertebrate animals proposed by a PI for a three-year period. All procedures on a protocol – including pilot studies - must be fully approved by the IACUC before acquisition, housing or use of animals.
All UCSF IACUC protocols are located in our online system, Research Information Online (RIO).
Please contact the IACUC office at [email protected] if you have any questions about what procedures your lab is approved to conduct.
Attention: Animal Researchers with DoD Funding
Starting January 1, 2026, the Department of Defense (DoD) requires researchers to maintain a separate IACUC protocol exclusively for DoD-funded work. This means DoD-funded and non-DoD-funded work can no longer be described within the same IACUC protocol.
Current DoD-funded projects are exempt from this change until their next De Novo/triennial review. To ensure compliance, PIs should plan to create and submit separate IACUC protocols at least 10-12 weeks in advance of their ACURO review deadlines to secure UCSF IACUC approval. Please contact IACUP staff with questions.