The IACUC requires electronic protocol submissions on IRBNet, including revisions and renewals. The IACUC protocol form, personnel form, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Occupational Health and Safety (OHSP) form, and other authorized forms are available on IRBNet.

The approved IACUC protocol in IRBNet is, in essence, the Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for your work using live vertebrates. The protocol must be kept current with respect to changing techniques, objectives, and personnel. The protocol must be readily accessible in your lab or office and every individual working on your project must read and understand the protocol. All captive wildlife or laboratory animals used under this protocol must be identified by the IACUC number. This number must be on every surgery record, the animal management records, pathology records, and you must provide this number to have pharmaceuticals dispensed from veterinary services.

You will need to submit a brief annual report on activities conducted under this protocol.  A reminder will be sent automatically by IRBNet.

Access to IRBNet

IRBNet can be accessed here: www.irbnet.org.

1. Click the "New User Registration" link in the upper right hand corner of the page and follow the instructions. Select University of Alaska Anchorage as your affiliation.
2. Follow the instructions in IRBNet to your preferred e-mail. Follow the link in the e-mail to complete the registration process.
3. If applicable, notify your research team that you are registered. This includes co-Principal Investigators and Research Supervisors for thesis research, for example. The Principle Investigator, or someone designated by the Investigator, will need to "Share" the IRBNet package with you before you have access to that package.
4. Access the "Read Me First" document under Forms and Templates on IRBNet. This document is specific to the UAA IRBNet system for the IACUC.
   
   Important Note: The IACUC and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) use the same submission system at UAA. In other words, you have the option to submit your project to the IACUC or IRB when logged into IRBNet. Please double check to make sure submissions are sent to the correct committee for review!

Where to Begin

Please review IRBNet's training tools to become acquainted with the system.

• IRBNet Training Energizer: Login and Registration Tips
• IRBNet Training Energizer: Initial Package Submission  (e.g., new protocols or progress reports)
• IRBNet Training Energizer: Subsequent Package Submission (e.g., revising and uploading project documents for resubmission, submitting a subsequent package to the IACUC, managing your reviews)

IRBNet Q&A for the IACUC

• Q: "Help! I'm creating a new IRBNet package and I can't find the IACUC forms!"
  A: When creating a new package, the IACUC document library is the second option from the drop down menu. The UAA IRB is the default library that will be selected. Please make sure you select the correct documents.
• Q: "I accidentally submitted a project to the UAA IRB for review. How do I change this?"
• A: Once you submit a project to the IACUC or IRB for review, it cannot be deleted. Please notify the Research Integrity & Compliance Office (907-786-1099) immediately so that the submission can be flagged to ignore. You can login to IRBNet and submit the package to the appropriate committee by clicking "Submit This Package" on the left hand side. Please make sure you submit your study to the appropriate committee! 
• Q: "Can I submit my research protocol and Husbandry Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in the same package?"
• If you have a Husbandry SOP or Surgical SOP in addition to your research protocol, please submit these documents separately. In other words, please submit a package with only your research protocol and research personnel list, and another separate package with your Husbandry SOP. You will need to sign and submit both packages to the IACUC. 
• Q: "I need to submit a progress report for my research protocol and my SOPs. How do I do this?"
• There are separate forms for the research protocol progress report and the SOP progress report. Please make sure to submit these documents in completely separate packages since research protocols and SOPs receive separate approvals. Review the "Read Me First" document above for instructions on how to submit a progress report.

IRBNet FAQ

For Frequently Asked Questions about IRBNet, including questions regarding the security of data and the level of support and training IRBNet provides, please see the IRBNet FAQs.