How to Track IACUC Protocol Amendments
An IACUC amendment is a formal request to change an approved animal protocol — adding a procedure, raising the animal cap, swapping a strain, or revising endpoints. Each amendment must be reviewed by your institution and approved on a specific date before the lab can act on it. Moustra attaches amendments to their parent protocol so you can see the full change history, store approval letters, monitor pending requests, and confirm that on-protocol work only uses approved procedures.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Open the IACUC Protocols page
Click IACUC Protocols in the navigation menu. The page lists every protocol your lab has on file with its current approval status, expiration date, and animal cap.
Open the protocol that needs an amendment
Click the row for the protocol you want to amend. The protocol detail page opens with tabs for procedures, animals on protocol, and an Amendments tab where every change request is tracked.
Add a new amendment
Open the Amendments tab and click Add Amendment. Fill in a short title, a description of why the change is needed, the specific requested change (for example "raise mouse cap from 200 to 350" or "add tail-vein injection procedure"), and the requested date you submitted it to the IACUC office.
Upload the approval letter and mark approved
When the IACUC returns its decision, open the amendment and click Upload Approval Letter to attach the signed PDF. Set the status to Approved and enter the approval date from the letter so the timeline reflects the official decision.
Pro Tip
A protocol cannot enforce a new procedure or a higher animal cap until the matching amendment is marked **Approved** with a valid approval date — Moustra warns you when on-protocol work depends on a pending amendment.
Review the amendment history
Scroll the Amendments tab to confirm every amendment is listed with its status, requested date, approval date, and attached letter. Use this view during IACUC inspections or annual reviews to show a complete, dated audit trail of every change to the protocol.