Grant Congruence Review
Congruence review is required for all funding involving the use of live vertebrate animals. Liaisons in OAW will do a side-by-side comparison of the grant or contract to the associated IACUC protocol(s) to ensure that all animal activities outlined in the proposal have been approved by the UW IACUC. OAW will also ensure that all necessary agreements with subcontracted institutions are in place.
Here are some examples of when you should reach out to OAW about initiating a congruence review:
- You have received a fundable score
- You have received a request for Just-In-Time (JIT) documents
- You are working on a subcontract or subaward to another institution to support studies involving animals
- A sponsor has requested documentation of IACUC approval
- You’re not sure if a congruence review is needed
If any of the above situations apply, contact oawrss@uw.edu and let us know!
Include in your email:
- The associated eGC1 number
- If a New Protocol or an Amendment to an existing protocol has or will be submitted to cover the proposed work
- If the grant or contract will be used to support animal work at another institution
For Frequently Asked Questions related to grants, visit our FAQ Page.
If you are looking for regulatory information that a sponsor is requesting, visit our Institutional Compliance page.
Why is congruence review required?
There are three primary reasons for performing congruence review:
Regulatory Compliance – Congruence review is a regulatory requirement.
Protect Researchers – Performing a congruence review prior to or at the time of award reduces the risk of accidental protocol noncompliance by ensuring that planned activity is approved by the IACUC before it starts.
Protect the Institution – Congruence review allows OAW to ensure that all necessary agreements with collaborating institutions are in place to cover the proposed activity.
How is OAW alerted to the need for congruence review?
For some eGC1 types, including transfers from other institutions and anything marked as “after-the-fact”, OAW is in the approval flow in SAGE and no additional action is needed to initiate the congruence review.
OAW is not included in the eGC1 approval flow for new grants or competing awards (e.g., renewals, revisions, and supplements). This is to avoid wasting your time and effort ensuring congruence with proposals that are not ultimately funded. However, this means it is necessary for the PI or grants administrator to notify OAW (oawrss@uw.edu) as soon as a grant is likely to be funded.
OAW does not review non-competing applications (i.e., non-competing renewals, revisions, or supplements).
What is the OAW Liaison looking for during congruence review?
The OAW Liaison will review all portions of the grant or contract, including but not limited to:
- Scientific Aims
- Species
- Number of animals and group size
- Experimental timeline and procedures
- Euthanasia method
- Collaborators and subawards
OAW may ask the PI additional questions or to supply additional information in order to determine congruency.
If a new protocol or an amendment to an existing protocol is needed, that new protocol or amendment must be approved by the IACUC before OAW can approve the grant.
Once congruence is confirmed, OAW will issue a Grant Congruence Letter (i.e., Grant Approval Letter). A Grant Approval Letter is different than a Protocol Approval Letter – learn the difference.
Preparing the eGC1
Accurate information in section AU-1 of the eGC1 will increase the efficiency of the congruence review process. Specifically, please ensure that the correct protocol(s) and performance sites are listed, the question of whether an amendment will be needed is answered accurately, and “new protocol” is only selected if there is not an existing IACUC protocol that will cover the proposed work.
See SAGE Support for additional guidance.