On October 1, the federal Animal Care and Use Review Office (ACURO), which provides regulatory oversight for Department of Defense (DoD) studies involving animals, announced that DoD-funded activities can no longer be included on the same animal use protocol as research supported by other funding sources (e.g., the NIH, NSF, other federal or private grants, internal/pilot funds).
These changes apply ONLY to new protocols and three-year renewals submitted in ARIES to University of Pennsylvania's IACUC and, subsequently, the ACURO, on or after January 1, 2026.
Guidelines for PIs:
- PIs with Existing IACUC Approved Protocols – No immediate action is needed. When the protocol is due for its next three-year renewal, all work funded by the DoD must be submitted as a separate standalone protocol to be reviewed and approved by the IACUC.
- PIs Planning to Submit a New Protocol with DoD Funding – PIs planning to submit a new animal use protocol that includes DoD funding on or after January 1, 2026, will be required to create and submit a protocol separate from protocols funded by all other sources.
Please reach out to the Office of Animal Welfare with any questions.