NIH Grants and Funding
1. Introduction
*The use of this template for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between collaborating institutions is not required and is provided for the convenience of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) at Assured institutions. Sections may be added, deleted, or modified to meet the needs of individual programs.
The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) recommends that collaborating institutions involving animal use should have a formal written understanding (e.g., a contract, memorandum of understanding, or agreement) that addresses the responsibility for offsite animal care and use, animal ownership, and IACUC review and oversight (p.15).
To help institutions meet the requirements of the Guide and to reduce the administrative burden associated with developing MOUs, the Federal Demonstration Partnership, in collaboration with OLAW, developed an MOU template. The template is intended to prevent problems and misunderstandings which could negatively impact research animals.
2. MOU Documents
The FDP provides two documents relevant to the MOU template. The documents can be accessed on the FDP "Animal Subjects Subcommittee" webpage and scrolling down to "Committee Resources and Tools."
- FDP IACUC MOU Sample:
- Designed for single projects but could be modified for frequent collaborators
- Covers specific areas of concern for regulators
- Program-wide acknowledgments
- Transportation
- Ownership & oversight
- Investigation & reporting
- Other (blank)
- FDP IACUC MOU User Guide
- Intentionally non-prescriptive
- Provides definitions to "translate" from each office
- Provides considerations for offices in choosing what documentation mechanism to utilize (i.e., MOU, subaward, Interinstitutional Assurance)
- Provides high-level considerations for institutions on how collaborative research is documented
- FAQs highlight specific considerations
3. Quick Answers
No. This example format is not required. This is being offered as a resource to assist institutions if desired.
+ What should be included a formal written agreement for animal collaborations (such as an MOU or contract)?
The exact contents of the formal written agreement may depend on the nature of the collaboration, animal activity involved, and the institution's needs.
Although collaborating institutions are involved in both cases, the MOU and the Interinstitutional Assurance are different documents and do not substitute for one another.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) is one type of document that may be used as a formal written agreement to meet the Guide statement (p.15) regarding collaborations. The purpose of a formal written agreement is to address the responsibilities for animal care and use and avoid ambiguities that can lead to noncompliance and animal welfare concerns.
The Interinstitutional Assurance is a type of Animal Welfare Assurance issued by OLAW to an awardee institution that does not have its own:
- animal care and use program
- facilities to house animals
- Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC); and
- does not conduct animal research on-site.
4. Resources
- OLAW Webinar: MOUs for Collaborating Institutions: New Template from the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) - January 19, 2023