Animal Program: Principal Investigator Status

Layout for printing
Policy Number:
UW-4114
Old Policy Number:
2000-013-io
Responsible Office:
Research Animal Resources and Compliance

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

To define the minimum requirements for an individual to hold principal investigator (PI) status for a UW–Madison animal care and use protocol. Principal investigator status carries final responsibility for any and all activities related to the work carried out under the protocol. This includes, but is not limited to, the completion of annual continuing reviews, the submission of renewals and amendments, and ultimate responsibility for the actions and safety of all personnel who use and care for animals in research, teaching, and outreach activities under an approved protocol. Principal investigator designation on a UW–Madison animal care and use protocol does not ensure or imply any guarantee of principal investigator status in any other UW–Madison context, office or laboratory space, personnel and fiscal management, or another department, school, college, or unit support, including employment.

Policy:
  1. To be identified as a principal investigator on a UW–Madison animal care and use protocol, an individual must hold a current appointment that provides one of the following:
    1. University principal investigator status (currently this includes tenure track faculty, Research Professors (all levels), and UW-Madison staff with Permanent PI status for grants).
    2. Principal investigator status eligibility can be granted by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for persons within other title series if they fulfill the principal investigator responsibilities defined above in the “Purpose” statement. Emeritus faculty and other staff may fall within this category.
    3. An employee of the Morgridge Institute for Research (MIR) who has been granted principal investigator status under MIR policy.
  2. Trainees, post-doctoral students, graduate students, and undergraduate students may not serve as principal investigators on animal protocols.
  3. Members of group (B) must have on file at the Research Animal Resources and Compliance (RARC) IACUC office a completed "Request for Principal Investigator Status Form" to verify department chair and dean approval.
  4. Without a current form (signed within three years of the submission date of the animal protocol), an animal protocol will not be approved by the IACUC(s).
  5. Individual IACUCs have the responsibility to determine if the individual identified on a protocol application as the principal investigator is qualified to assume animal protocol principal investigator status responsibilities.
  6. Persons denied principal investigator status on animal protocols may appeal the individual IACUC's decision but the IACUC will have final authority for such decisions.
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

Request for Principal Investigator Status Form

External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Associate Vice Chancellor of Research Policy and Compliance
Policy Manager:
Associate Vice Chancellor of Research Policy and Compliance
Contact:
IACUC Administrator -- IACUC Administrator, iacuc_administrator@rarc.wisc.edu, (608) 262-1238
Effective Date:
09-20-2000
Date Issued:
09-20-2000
Revised Dates:

05-01-2006, 05-01-2011, 02-01-2015, 06-01-2019, 07-20-2021, 10-10-2023

Retrieved:
04-24-2024 08:46:05