Topic

Protocol Submission Deadlines & Who to Submit to (Animal Research & Teaching)

On this page:

Please Note

The Local Animal Care Committees (LACCs) are meeting virtually and are reviewing all Animal Use Protocol (AUP) submissions, including new protocols, renewals and amendments.

Who is this for?

Anyone involved with animal research or teaching at the University of Toronto (U of T), including those in the following roles.

Professor, Faculty Member
Teaching Stream Faculty
Principal Investigator Assistants (PIAs) with My Research Animal Protocol (MRAP) privileges

What do I need before I can begin?

If the project you are proposing does not have peer reviewed funding, please refer to Peer Review for Scientific Merit to determine the process for obtaining scientific merit review at U of T.

If the project you are proposing is for teaching, please refer to Requirements for Animal Use in Teaching for the process for obtaining pedagogical merit review at U of T

A valid UTORid for access to My Research Animal Protocols.

FAQs

How does the COVID-19 situation affect my protocol renewal?

As you’ve done in the past, please continue to submit your renewals for review and approval in advance of the protocol expiry date.

If you would like to update your protocol in advance of submitting a renewal, please submit an amendment as usual.

Renewing your protocols on time will help reduce the LACC review backlog when research resumes and is critical for protocols where animals are on hand in the facility during the research shutdown.

When submitting your protocol renewal, you can:

1) revise/update your protocol and submit your renewal as you normally would do

or

2) submit your protocol 'as is' with no change; once research starts up again, you can submit an amendment to incorporate any new projects, changes to existing projects, etc.

Animal Use Protocol Submissions

Animal Use Protocols (AUPs) (original submissions, renewals, or amendments) must be submitted via My Research Animal Protocols (MRAP) by 11:59pm on the following dates to allow the Local Animal Care Committee (LACC) sufficient time to review each AUP prior to the monthly meeting. Submissions received after the deadline will be deferred to the next meeting.

Minor amendments that only involve administrative changes (e.g., additions/removal of research personnel) are eligible for expedited review and approval by the Animal Ethics & Compliance Manager (AECM).

For additional information see My Research Animal Protocols.

Submission Deadlines and LACC Meeting Dates

Health Sciences LACC

If you are using animals for research or teaching and you work out of a Division of Comparative Medicine animal facility, such as the Medical Sciences Building (MSB) or the Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research (CCBR), you will submit your protocol to the Health Sciences LACC.

AUP Submission Deadline	Meeting Date
Monday, July 20, 2020	Wednesday, August 05, 2020
Monday, August 17, 2020	Wednesday, September 02, 2020
Monday, September 21, 2020	Wednesday, October 07, 2020
Monday, October 19, 2020	Wednesday, November 04, 2020
Monday, November 16, 2020	Wednesday, December 02, 2020
Monday, December 14, 2020*	Wednesday, January 06, 2021
Monday, January 18, 2021	Wednesday, February 03, 2021
Monday, February 15, 2021	Wednesday, March 03, 2021
Monday, March 22, 2021	Wednesday, April 07, 2021
Monday, April 19, 2021	Wednesday, May 05, 2021
Monday, May 17, 2021	Wednesday, June 02, 2021
Monday, June 21, 2021	Wednesday, July 07, 2021
Monday, July 19, 2021	Wednesday, August 04, 2021

* early due to holiday closure

Biological Sciences LACC

If you are using animals for research or teaching and you work out of the Biological Support Facility (BSF), University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), or University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) animal facilities, you will submit your AUP to the Biological Sciences LACC. All field work is also reviewed by the Biological Sciences LACC.

AUP Submission Deadline	Meeting Date
Tuesday, August 04, 2020	Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Tuesday, September 01, 2020	Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Tuesday, October 06, 2019	Tuesday, October 20, 2019
Tuesday, November 03, 2020	Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Tuesday, December 01, 2020	Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Tuesday, January 05, 2021	Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Tuesday, February 02, 2021	Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Tuesday, March 02, 2021	Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Tuesday, April 06, 2021	Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Tuesday, May 04, 2021	Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Tuesday, June 01, 2021	Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Tuesday, July 06, 2021	Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Tuesday, August 03, 2021	Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Interim Review

The interim review mechanism was put in place to allow the expedited review of AUPs that cannot wait for review until the next meeting. Any AUP submission (original submissions, renewals, or amendments) that has ‘interim review’ requested, must include clear justification for interim review.

The AECM will determine if the justification provided is sufficient grounds for interim review, as it requires significant resources for the LACC to perform interim reviews. If an interim review is not explicitly requested and justified, the submission will be assigned to the next available LACC meeting for review.

Please note that all submissions that undergo interim review and approval are subject to full committee review at the next available LACC meeting and should only be considered provisionally approved until they have received full committee approval.