Navigator Newsletter-December 2022

Post-Approval Monitoring and your OAW Liaison

“Post-approval monitoring” describes all forms of oversight and monitoring that occur after the IACUC approves a protocol. This includes daily staff observations of animals, IACUC site visits, and external regulatory inspections.

As part of our post-approval monitoring program, your OAW Liaison may reach out periodically to request an informal check-in meeting. This meeting is an opportunity for us to ask how things are going, answer any questions you may have, help with any upcoming changes to your protocol, and provide relevant programmatic or regulatory updates. You can also contact your OAW Liaison at any time if you have questions related to your animal use protocol.

If you are not sure who your OAW Liaison is, please ask our team by contacting oawrss@uw.edu.

Check Water and Food Levels

With the Winter vacation season here, many people are taking long weekends.

Don’t let the water or food get lower than 1/3 in the cage.

It is important to check the water and food levels in cages to ensure there is enough in the cage so that no animals go thirsty or hungry.

Check out the lesson: Check Water and Food.

Grant-Protocol Congruence Letters

When providing verification of protocol approval to a sponsor, it is important to understand the distinction between a Grant Congruence Letter, and a Protocol Approval Letter.

When a protocol is approved in HoverBoard, the system generates an automatic approval letter. This Protocol Approval Letter indicates that an IACUC protocol is approved, but it does not indicate congruence with a specific grant or contract. This letter cannot be used to provide verification to a sponsor.

When OAW performs a grant-to-protocol congruence review, a reviewer in OAW completes a side-by-side review of the specific grant or contract and the cited IACUC protocol(s). If the award involves a subcontract to an outside institution, OAW will also establish any necessary agreements (e.g., a Memorandum of

Understanding) with that institution. Once congruence is verified and any required agreements are fully executed, the OAW reviewer will generate a grant-specific approval letter. This Grant Congruence Letter (or Grant Approval Letter) confirms that the specific grant is congruent with the cited IACUC Protocol(s). This letter can be used to provide verification to a sponsor.

If you have any questions about grant-protocol congruence review, please contact oawrss@uw.edu.

WaNPRC FAQ

The University of Washington is the proud home to one of the seven National Primate Research Centers.

To learn more about the Washington National Primate Research Center, check out the Frequently Asked Questions page on their website.

Work Safely with UV Lights

Ultraviolet (UV) lights are included in common laboratory equipment, such as biosafety cabinets and transilluminators.

It is important to know how to work safely with UV lights. EH&S has resources to help you understand the risks of working with UV lights, and what precautions you can take to mitigate exposures and injuries.