In this scenario, the outgoing CEO of Great Eastern appointed the IO, who then appointed each member of the IACUC. The Guide states that “the size of the institution and the nature and extent of research, testing, and education programs will determine the number of members of the committee and their terms of appointment1.” If the Great Eastern CEO adhered to the regulations and appointed the IO and the IACUC members for certain term periods, then they would not have to be reappointed by the new president of the university. Of course, at the end of their appointed term, the IO and IACUC member could be reappointed if they wished to continue serving.

Daniels is correct that the AWRs state that the CEO appoints the IACUC, but the law does not go into detail as to how an institution handles changes in leadership, except that such changes of operation must be reported to an Animal Care Regional Director. The AWRs defines the IO as someone who is authorized to legally commit on behalf of the research facility. Since the AWRs do not specifically address the CEO or appointment of an IO, one might indeed conclude that the CEO can delegate the appointment of the IACUC to another individual within the institution who can legally commit for the facility.

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