Frequently Asked Questions

Please visit the Protocol Submission (eIACUC) for full instructions.

It depends on the complexity of the protocol.  Full protocol reviews usually take 4-6 weeks.  Minor modifications (amendments) and change approvals could be completed in 5 business days.

Minor amendments can be approved by the IACUC administration.  These include personnel changes (such as adding graduate students to your protocol); animal numbers changes with 10% of original number, and approved location.

All active MTU faculty and staff have access to Cayuse. Students will need to request access using a Google form. This only allows them to be searchable to add as personnel on a protocol. In order for students to edit a protocol, they need to be a member of your research group. NOTE: all research group members have access to all research group member IACUC protocols. To request access for a student (or another PI) to be a part of your research group, please email iacuc@mtu.edu.  

Yes. Michigan Tech IACUC Policy states "All research, teaching, and biological testing projects conducted at another institution or elsewhere by faculty, students, staff, or other representatives of Michigan Tech in connection with the investigator’s institutional responsibilities" must be approved by the IACUC before researchers or other personnel can procure or use animals. Please contact iacuc@mtu.edu if you are thinking about having another institution or organization perform animal work on your project. 

Upon approval of a protocol, you will be added to multiple email lists [acfaau, iacuc-protocol-users, etc].  These lists provide important program information and updates. If you have an active protocol and have not received an invitation, please contact iacuc@mtu.edu.

1. All new users must go through the same steps to gain access to the ACF: 
   1. Complete all required CITI training modules (see Training site) (link)
   2.  
2. Complete the Health Questionnaire and attend an Occupational Health visit at Upper Great Lakes Health Care Center, the clinic adjacent to the Student Development Complex (SDC) (links)
3. Complete the ACF Access Request Form (link)
4. Schedule and attend an ACF Orientation with acf-l@mtu.edu.

Principle Investigators with an approved and active IACUC Protocol submit an Animal Procurement Request Form, from which ACF Administration will procure a quote for the order. Laboratory animals are typically ordered from 1 of 2 certified vendors (Jackson Laboratories or Charles River), and PI’s can specify which vendor they prefer. Quote generation typically takes 24 to 48 hours. As soon as the quote is ready, it is sent to the PI for review. After a quote is approved by the PI, ACF Administration places the order.

Due to MTU’s geographical location, getting animals to campus during the colder months (October through May) can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. If you need to order animals during this time of year, please note that shipping costs will be much higher, lead times will be longer and sometimes delays occur due to unpredictable weather conditions. We do our best to ensure animals arrive on campus as quickly and safely as possible, but we cannot guarantee exact delivery dates. 

In special cases, animals can be procured from other institutions. This method usually includes Material Transfer Agreement(s), extra shipping costs, quarantine protocols and associated costs, and longer lead times.

All drugs (except controlled substances) are ordered through ACF Administration. Simply send an email to the ACF Director with as much detail as possible about what you need (drug name and generic name, amount, concentration, brand, etc) and they will source the item. Most of the time, PI’s will be asked to confirm the item and cost before the order is placed. 

Controlled substances must be ordered directly by the Principle Investigator. If you have or will need to procure licensure to use any of those substances, please contact Kathy Halvorsen (kehalvor@mtu.edu).

Upon getting access to the ACF, users are also added to the Surgical Suite Google Calendars. Each calendar contains the room number in the title, so please make sure you are reserving the correct room. Simply create an event on the appropriate calendar, and make sure to include the PI’s name in the event title.

There are several ways to communicate with ACF Staff 

1. Whiteboards
   • Each animal room has a whiteboard on the door where you can leave notes - sometimes Staff will leave notes for you, too, so we recommend checking it during every visit to the facility.
2. Email
   • You can email the ACF Director (kmstudin@mtu.edu) or acf-l@mtu.edu with questions or concerns.
3. Talk to us
   • Yes, you can ask ACF Staff questions if you happen to see them in the facility - they will have black and white checkered shoes on. If they don’t know the answer or aren’t able to help you, they will let the ACF Director know so they can follow up with you.

Yes, animals can be transferred! The PI whose protocol the animals are coming from must email acf-l to alert ACF Administration of the transfer. Please include the original PI’s name, protocol number, number and sex of the animals along with the accepting PI’s name and protocol number. As soon as the email is sent, the animals can be physically transferred to the new PI.

Since the ACF is a Shared Facility, each user is billed on a monthly basis using current Use Fee rates (link to ACF page), which are set on an annual or bi-annual basis. Each month PIs will get an invoice with the number of cages used for the previous month. There is a specified rate per size of cage, per day, for every single day you have animals in the facility. ACF staff complete a daily cage census to ensure each invoice reflects the correct number of total cages in any given month.