Review Process

Procedures for Protocols

Please note that all application and documentation submitted to the ACC should be completed on the updated versions of the documents found on our Forms web page.

Review Process

All new protocols using animals are reviewed at the Animal Care Committee (ACC) meetings held in February, June, September and December of each year. Applications which are submitted at other times of the year will be considered for “interim approval” and signed by the Chair of the ACC. This will allow researchers to begin their project as soon as “interim approval” has been granted. Final approval will be considered at the next quarterly meeting of the ACC.

Please note: All student members listed on the AUPP are required to complete the Animal Training Modules and Laboratory Animal Student Training course and will be required to provide proof of completion prior to the final approval of any new AUPP.


Duration of Approval and Yearly Renewals

In the event the project is to continue beyond one year, the researcher can “renew” ethics approval for each of the next two years using the revised Progress/Renewal Report form. Thus, if your AUPP was submitted as a new application in 2022, the Progress Report form can be used in each of the years 2023 and 2024. If you intend to continue the project beyond this, you must submit a final report and a full AUPP for this purpose before the approval expires in 2025.

Ethics approval of all research proposals is usually issued for one year at a time. However, all researchers must submit an Annual Renewal form to the Animal Care Coordinator prior to the anniversary date of that application. Those forms will be reviewed at the next upcoming ACC committee meeting. These renewals provide the necessary information for compiling statistics for the CCAC Animal Use Data form which must be submitted by the end of March each year. You will receive a renewal reminder from the ACC prior to your anniversary date each year.

Protocol Modifications

To be consistent with the CCAC guidelines, all personnel who will be involved in the use of animals under a specific project must be listed on the corresponding AUPP under the Personnel section. All subsequent changes (i.e., additions, changes, deletions) to personnel associated with the project must be registered with the ACC by using the Add/Remove Personnel Form and Request to Revise form. In the case of additions, the Request to Revise form must be filed with the ACC prior to the person beginning work on the project. This requirement also includes changes to undergraduate and graduate students associated with the project regardless of the duration.


Contact the Animal Care Committee

If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Animal Care Committee
Chrysler Hall North
Room 2138
519-253-3000 ext. 3741
acc@uwindsor.ca