MCW eBridge Animal Use Module: Frequently Asked Questions

Audience: Principal Investigator & Study Staff

Instructions:  Follow the steps below to create a new Animal Use Application (AUA).

1. Log into eBridge.
2. Select Dashboard from the top navigation menu.  
3. Under the header Create, select the button New Animal Use Application from the left-hand column.
4. Navigate through each SmartForm page using the Continue button.
5. After entering information and answering questions on a SmartForm page, remember to click Save before moving on to the next screen.
6. Questions marked with a red asterisk (*) require a response.
7. Answering Yes or No to questions with radio buttons may cause the related sub-questions to disappear; this indicates that a response is no longer required based on the answer to the previous question.
8. Click Select or Add to enter information such as a name, location, substance or other data when entering multiple lines in a table.
9. Click “x” in the appropriate line to remove a single name, location, substance or other data from those tables.
10. Use the Information Icons (i) for guidance regarding particular questions.
11. Click Validate from the SmartForm navigation panel before submission to check for any discrepancies and/or required answers which were left blank.
12. Select Go to Workspace from the Final Check & Submission Instructions SmartForm screen to return to the AUA Workspace. This will not submit the AUA for IACUC review.
13. Select Submit Application to send the AUA to the IACUC to begin the review process. This final step ensures that the changes were complete, and it is ready for IACUC review.
    1. Note: Only the PI has the ability to submit an application.
14. A pop-up window will appear requiring the Principal Investigator (PI) to read the assurances and click the box next to each one.
15. Select OK.

If you wish to save your work and return to complete the AUA later:

1. Select Save.
2. Select Exit.
3. Select Yes.

To return to the AUA after logging off:

1. Log into eBridge.
2. Locate the AUA.
   1. PIs will find the submission on the In Progress tab of their Principal Investigator Dashboard.
   2. Study Staff will find the submission on the Research Submissions tab of their dashboard.
3. Select the Name (hyperlink) of the submission to navigate to the AUA Workspace.
4. Select Edit Animal Study from the left-hand column of the AUA Workspace.
5. Use the Jump To drop down menu to find the section you wish to modify.

Audience: Principal Investigator

Instructions:  Follow the steps below to give edit and/or email access on a particular AUA to individuals who may or may not be involved in the care and use of animals under that AUA.

1. Log into eBridge and select the AUA.
2. Once in in the workspace for the AUA, select the activity Edit Study Access and Notifications located on the left side of the screen.
3. In the pop-up box that appears, Add or Remove individuals who may edit eBridge submissions or receive automatic email notifications related to this study.
4. Select OK.

Audience: Principal Investigator & Study Staff

Instructions:  Follow the steps below to create an Animal Amendment (AA).

1. Log into eBridge
2. Locate the Animal Use Application (AUA) you wish to amend.
   • PIs may access the AUA by selecting either the Approved tab on their Principal Investigator Dashboard or Animal Use near the MCW logo at the top of the screen.
     1. From the Principal Investigator Dashboard Approved tab: Select the Name (hyperlink) to the existing AUA Workspace.
     2. From “Animal Use”: Go to the Approved section of the AUA tab.
   • Study Staff may access the AUA by selecting either the Research Submissions on their dashboard or Animal Use near the MCW logo at the top of the screen.
3. Select the Name (hyperlink) of the desired AUA to navigate to the existing AUA Workspace.
4. Click the button New Amendment from the left-hand column in the AUA Workspace.
   • Note: Only 1 Animal Amendment OR 3 Year Renewal can be open at a time.
5. Answer all the questions and select Continue to move to the next screen.
6. Questions marked with a red asterisk (*) require a response.
7. Read the instructions and select Go to Workspace, which will take you to the Animal Amendment Workspace.
8. Select Edit Modified AUA from the left-hand column.
   • Note: you may need to click the Refresh button on your browser after 30-45 seconds in order for the Edit Modified AUA button to appear.
9. Navigate to the page(s) that you want to change and complete the necessary modifications.
10. Select Continue to move to the next screen.
11. When your changes are complete, select Validate from the SmartForm Navigation Panel to check for errors
12. If no errors display, select Save and Exit.
13. Exiting the Modified AUA SmartForm returns you to the Animal Amendment Workspace.
14. Select Submit Amendment to send the AA to the IACUC to begin the review process. This final step ensures that the changes were complete and it is ready for IACUC review.

Note:  Only the PI has the ability to Submit an application.

A dynamic workflow graphic displays in the center of the submission’s workspace. This graphic shows a high-level visualization of the submission’s progress toward approval or activation, with the shaded circle indicating its current status.

Audience: Principal Investigator

Instructions: Follow the steps below to copy an entire Animal Use Application (AUA).  This feature allows you to generate a new study (or multiple studies) from an existing one so that you can focus on customizing the pre-populated text within the SmartForm rather than re-typing the content altogether.

1. Log into eBridge.
2. Locate the Animal Use Application (AUA) you wish to copy by selecting either the Approved tab (to the right of In Progress) on your Principal Investigator Dashboard or Animal Use near the MCW logo at the top of your screen.
   1. From the Approved tab: Select the Name (hyperlink) to navigate to the existing AUA Workspace.
   2. From Animal Use: Select the All tab to display all existing AUAs in the state of Pre Submission, Approved, Expired, Withdrawn, or Terminated.
3. Select the Name (hyperlink) of the desired AUA to navigate to the existing AUA Workspace.
4. Select Copy Study under Activities.
5. In the pop-up window that opens, enter the new AUA name in the text box provided.
6. Select OK and the pop-up window will disappear.
7. eBridge will take time to copy over the content from the existing AUA into a new AUA; please wait until the copy process finishes. You may need to Refresh your screen.
8. The new AUA will be created with a unique identification number and will be in the state of Pre Submission.
   1. Access the new AUA by clicking the link to it from the History Log of the originating AUA, OR
   2. Access the new AUA by clicking the Name (hyperlink) of the new AUA in the “In Progress” tab under “My Protocols” on your Principal Investigator Dashboard.
9. Select Edit Animal Study.
10. Navigate through each SmartForm page using the Continue button. Update and customize each section within the AUA to ensure it is current and correct.
    • Note: Once a PI has created the copy, Study Staff with edit access may edit the submission.
11. After entering information and answering questions on a SmartForm page, remember to click Save before moving on to the next screen.
12. Questions marked with a red asterisk (*) require a response.
13. Answering Yes or No to questions with radio buttons may cause the related sub-questions to disappear; this indicates that a response is no longer required based on the answer to the previous question.
14. Click Select or Add to enter information such as a name, location, substance or other data when entering multiple lines in a table.
15. Select the “x” in the appropriate line to remove a single name, location, substance or other data from those tables.
16. Use the Information Icons (i) for guidance regarding particular questions.

17. In the SmartForm, select the Validate tab within the navigation panel before submission to check for any discrepancies and/or required answers which were left blank. (This feature is especially useful for study personnel preparing animal use submissions on behalf of the Principal Investigator (PI) to clear errors before the PI attempts to submit.)

18. Select Go to Workspace from the “Final Check & Submission Instructions” SmartForm page to return to the AUA Workspace. This will not submit the AUA for IACUC review.
19. Select Submit Application to send the AUA to the IACUC to begin the review process. This final step ensures that the changes were complete and it is ready for IACUC review.
    • Note: Only the PI has the ability to Submit an application.
20. A pop-up window will appear requiring the Principal Investigator (PI) to read the assurances and click the box next to each one.
21. Select OK.

Compare provides reviewers with views of the SmartForm that identify changes that were made within the application. 

1. Navigate to the AUA SmartForm 
2. In the upper left corner in the Navigation Panel, select “Compare”.
3. Select the version you want to compare to the most current changes.
   • The version selected will be compared to the most recently edited version of the application.
4. Select Section titles with a pencil icon to navigate to different sections of the SmartForm. 
5. Use the color coding and strikethrough features to identify the modifications.
   • Text in green = added text
   • Text in red = original text
   • Text with strikethrough = deleted text
6. To exit Compare Mode, select the Menu (Hamburger) button in the Navigation Panel.       

Audience: Principal Investigator & Study Staff

Instructions:  Follow the steps below to create a 3 Year Renewal application.

1. Log into eBridge.
2. Locate the Animal Use Application (AUA) you wish to renew.
   1. PIs may access the AUA by selecting either the “Approved” tab (to the right of In Progress) on their Principal Investigator Dashboard or “Animal Use” near the MCW logo at the top of the screen.
      1. From the Principal Investigator Dashboard tab: Select the Name (hyperlink) to go to the existing AUA Workspace.
      2. From “Animal Use”: Go to the Approved section of the AUA tab.
   2. Study Staff may access the AUA by selecting either the Research Submissions tab on their Dashboard or Animal Use near the MCW logo at the top of the screen.
3. Select the Name (hyperlink) of the desired AUA to navigate to the existing AUA Workspace.
4. Click the button New 3 Year de novo from the left-hand column in the AUA Workspace.
5. Complete the Summary Information SmartForm page.
6. Select OK. Doing so will bring you to the newly created 3-Year Renewal AUA Workspace; clicking OK will not submit the 3-Year Renewal for IACUC review.
7. eBridge will generate a copy of the approved AUA to be modified with this renewal. Please wait until the copy process finishes.
8. Refresh your browser occasionally and the Current State will change from Copying 3 Year de Novo to Pre Submission when the copy process is complete.
9. Select Edit Animal Study from the left-hand column in the 3-Year Renewal AUA Workspace.
10. Navigate through each SmartForm page using the Continue button.
11. After entering information and answering questions on a SmartForm page, remember to click Save before moving on to the next screen.
12. Questions marked with a red asterisk (*) require a response.
13. Answering Yes or No to questions with radio buttons may cause the related sub-questions to disappear; this indicates that a response is no longer required based on the answer to the previous question.
14. Click Select or Add to enter information such as a name, location, substance or other data when entering multiple lines in a table.

1. Select the “x” in the appropriate line to remove a single name, location, substance or other data from those tables.
2. Use the Information Icons (i) for guidance regarding particular questions.
3. Select Validate from the SmartForm Navigation Panel before submission to check for any discrepancies and/or required answers which were left blank. (This feature is especially useful for study personnel preparing animal use submissions on behalf of the Principal Investigator (PI) to clear errors before the PI attempts to submit.)
4. Select Go to Workspace from the “Final Check & Submission Instructions” SmartForm page to return to the AUA Workspace. This will not submit the AUA for IACUC review.
5. Select Submit Application to send the AUA to the IACUC to begin the review process. This final step ensures that the changes were complete, and it is ready for IACUC review.
   • Note: Only the PI has the ability to Submit an application.
6. A pop-up window will appear requiring the Principal Investigator (PI) to read the assurances and click the box next to each one.
7. Select OK.

 

If you wish to save your work and return to complete the 3-Year Renewal AUA later:

1. Select Save.
2. Select Exit.
3. Select Yes.

 

To return to the 3-Year Renewal AUA after logging off:

1. Log into eBridge.
2. Locate the 3 Year Renewal.
   1. PIs will find the submission on the In Progress tab of the Principal Trainer Dashboard.
   2. Study Staff will find the submission on the Research Submissions tab of their dashboard.
3. Select the Name (hyperlink) of the submission to navigate to the 3-Year Renewal AUA Workspace.
4. Select Edit Animal Study from the left-hand column of the 3-Year Renewal AUA Workspace.
5. Use the “Jump To” drop down menu to find the section you wish to modify.

Audience: ADR – Authorized Department Representative and Department/Division Approvers  

Instructions:  Use this report to monitor AUAs within your department.

Accessing the Report:

1. Log into eBridge.
2. Go to the Reports tab on your dashboard.
3. Select IACUC-Departmental Report in the SSRS Reports section of the tab.
4. In the top area, there are 3 drop-down menus that enable you to tailor the information you wish to access.
   1. Select the Department or Departments (if you are ADR for multiple departments).
   2. Select the Division(s) (if you wish to focus the report). The default is to include all Divisions within the Department.
   3. Select the State of the AUAs you wish to monitor. Options include the States of Approved, Terminated, and Expired. The default is to include all 3 states in the report.
5. Click View Report on the far right of the screen.
6. Once the data appears on your screen, you have the option to review it there or export it to Excel
7. To export to Excel
   1. Click the down arrow  
   2. Select Excel.
   3. Select Open in the File Download popup window.

 

Interpreting the Report:

The report displays the following information for each AUA in the state(s) that were selected (i.e. Approved, Terminated, Expired):

• PI Last Name
• PI First Name
• Department = PI’s department
• Division = PI’s division within the department
• AUA ID = AUA ID #, e.g. AUA00000001
• AUA Title = Title of the AUA
• Status = State of the AUA (i.e.  Approved, Expired, or Terminated)
• Species = animal species of that AUA
• AUA Initial Approval Date = date that the AUA was approved for the first time
• AUA Current Approval Date = date that should be listed on grant applications
  • For non-USDA-regulated species (e.g. mice, rats, fish), the current approval date is either the initial IACUC approval date OR the most recent 3-year de novo IACUC approval date, whichever is more recent.
  • For USDA-regulated species, the current approval date is the initial IACUC approval date OR the most recent 3-year de novo IACUC approval date OR the most recent IACUC Annual Renewal approval date, whichever is most recent.
• Next Annual Renewal Date = the date by which the next Annual Renewal must be approved by the IACUC. Annual Renewals should be submitted approximately 30 days before this date in order to have the best chance of being approved in time to prevent expiration.
• AUA 3 Yr Renewal Date (Proposed) = the estimated date by which the next 3 Year de novo Renewal should be approved by the IACUC. This date may or may not change in Year 3, and will be replaced with the AUA 3Yr Renewal Date (Actual) in the third year of the renewal cycle.
• AUA 3 Yr Renewal Date (Actual) = the date by which the next 3 Year de novo Renewal must be approved by the IACUC in order to prevent the AUA from expiring.  (Once expired, the AUA cannot be reinstated; instead, a new AUA must be submitted and undergo a complete review in order to receive IACUC approval. Should that happen, all research must stop until the new approval is granted.)  3 Year de novo Renewals should be submitted at least 60 days before this date in order to have the best chance of the being approved in time to prevent expiration.
• Funding Proposal ID* = ID number of a Funding Proposal which is linked to the AUA; displays in Section B2.0 of the AUA
• Funding Proposal Type* = type of Funding Proposal (i.e. Federal, Federal Pass-through, For Profit, Non Profit, Internal, etc.); displays in Section B2.0 of the AUA
• Funding Proposal Status* = Status of Funding Proposal which is linked to the AUA; displays in Section B2.0 of the AUA
• Dept Funding Title* = Title of the Department Funding displayed in Section B1.0 of the AUA
• Dept Funding Cost Center* = Cost Center of the Department Funding displayed in Section B1.0 of the AUA
• Dept Funding Fund* = Fund of the Department Funding displayed in Section B1.0 of the AUA
• Dept Funding Project Number* = Project Number of the Department Funding displayed in Section B1.0 of the AUA

*Note: Only one source of funding is displayed per row. Therefore, an AUA will display on as many rows as it has funding sources.

Audience:  Principal Investigator & Study Staff

Instructions:  Follow the steps below to response to Changes Requested after receiving an automated email notification that changes have been requested by various reviewers of your animal submission.

1. Log into eBridge.
2. Locate the animal use submission that requires a response.
   • PIs may access the submission by selecting the “In Progress” tab on the Principal Investigator dashboard and clicking the Name (hyperlink) of the appropriate submission, or by clicking the AUA ID link within the automated eBridge email notification. This link will navigate to the specific AUA, AA, or AR Workspace.
   • Study Staff may access the submission by selecting the “Action Required” tab on their dashboard and clicking the Name (hyperlink) of the appropriate submission, or by clicking the AUA ID link within the automated eBridge email notification. This link will navigate to the specific AUA, AA, or AR Workspace.
3. Once within the appropriate Workspace, select Edit [type of submission] along the left-hand column within the existing AUA, AA, or AR Workspace.
   • If the submission is an AA, choose both Edit Amendment and Edit Modified AUA to locate the Change Requests in each portion.
4. Use the bar near the top of the screen entitled “Reviewer Notes” and select the Next and Previous buttons to navigate to each of the Change Requests posted throughout the submission.
   • There can be multiple pages of Change Requests on a page beyond than that which is displayed on the initial screen. Click the arrows just above the body of the AUA SmartForm to navigate to the next set of Change Requests (e.g. 1-5 of 10).
5. Select Click here to respond... within a Change Request to provide a response.
   • Each Change Request must have a response or eBridge will not allow you to submit the changes to the IACUC.
6. View the “Reviewer Notes” bar at the top of the SmartForm page to verify that the response was posted.
7. When you have provided a response to the Change Request, it will appear with a green background marked with “Change Request Completed”.
8. Scroll down to the body of the AUA and incorporate the appropriate modification(s) into the corresponding question.
9. Click Save before moving on to the next screen.
10. Select Exit which will direct you back to the AUA, AA, or AR Workspace.
11. When each Change Request has been addressed and the appropriate modifications to the study are complete, select the activity Submit Changes under Activities along the left-hand column within the AUA, AA, or AR Workspace. The final activity to submit the changes will allow the submission to continue in the review process.
12. Note: Any study staff member with Edit Access can modify the submission and choose the activity Submit Changes on behalf of the Principal Investigator (PI). If you are a PI and wish to grant edit access to study staff members, please follow the steps listed in the FAQ How do I change who can edit an AUA and/or receive email notifications?

• A new window will open with a text box for your response.

• You can define the Type of response using the drop-down menu in the pop-up window. Select Change Request Complete (which appears as the default), Change Request Not Complete, or Information Only.
• Click OK.
• Please note that any comments included as a response to Change Requests in eBridge are a part of the permanent record for that submission.

Audience:  Principal Investigator & Study Staff

Instructions:  Follow the steps below to update funding information in your approved Animal Use Application.  This activity provides a “real-time” connection and also displays information in the Funding Proposal Workspace and SmartForm.

1. Navigate to the Approved AUA Workspace.
2. Select the Update Funding activity from the left side of the Workspace.
3. A pop-up appears with the following four questions:

   *1.0 Do you want to add department funds? Yes/No. This is a required question, and if you select Yes, the AUA will route to your Department Approver to enter department funding information.

   2.0 List all current and pending funding sources managed through MCW.......

   There are two sections in this pop-up: A) Link a Funding Proposal in eBridge to your AUA; and B) Identify a funding source that is managed by MCW, but not in eBridge. You do not have to complete both sections. 
   
   If you choose to complete Section A, clicking on the ellipses (...) next to the text box for Budget in eBridge will display the Budget IDs for Funding Proposals in eBridge that meet at least one of the following criteria:
   • The PI on the AUA is the PI on the Funding Proposal.
   • The PI on the AUA is Key Personnel on the Funding Proposal.
   • The PI on the Funding Proposal is a Study Staff Member on the AUA. 
   
   Select the correct budget/funding proposal and click OK.

   3.0 For funding sources not managed through MCW, list all sources and institutions.

   *4.0 Have all animal activities described in the federally funded grants listed above been accurately described in this AUA.....
   This is a required question. Yes/No/N/A. If the funding listed in the previous three questions are not federal funds, e.g. departmental, internal, non-profit, for-profit, the answer is N/A.
   
   

4. After selecting your choice(s), click on the OK button at the bottom of the pop-up screen.

 

You may experience error messages if:

 - Required questions are not answered

 - All funding is removed/no funding is listed in V1.0 - V3.0

 - Question V4.0 is answered inappropriately based on the entries in V2.0 and V3.0

 

History Log Entry

After completing the Workspace activity to update your funding sources, a summary of the requested changes displays in the History Log on the Workspace. The History Log will also tell you if the changes you requested require review or will be immediately applied.

Changes requiring review:

• Add department funding
• Add funding to V2.0 or V3.0
• Remove funding from V2.0 or V3.0, but other funding still remains in either section

Changes that are immediately applied:

• Remove department funding
• Remove all the funding from V2.0 or V3.0, but department funding (previously approved) is still listed in V1.0

Audience:  Principal Investigator & Study Staff

Instructions:  Follow the steps below to update the list of study staff in your approved AUA.

Steps to Add Study Personnel on an Approved AUA

1. Go to the workspace of the Approved AUA to which you want to make a personnel change.
2. From the AUA Workspace, select the Update Study Personnel activity on the left side of the screen under Activities.
3. A pop-up displays. Enter the information in the appropriate fields.
4. Select OK to save the changes in each pop-up.
5. Your changes will be routed to the IACUC Office for review.
6. The activity displays in the History Log – “These changes are not in effect. This request has been routed for Review”.

 

Steps to Delete/Remove Study Personnel on an Approved AUA

1. Go to the workspace of an Approved AUA from which you want to remove personnel.
2. From the AUA Workspace, select the Update Study Personnel activity from the left side of the screen under Activities.
3. A pop-up displays. Delete the people you want to remove.
4. Select OK to save the changes.
5. The activity displays in the History Log – "Changes are effective immediately”.

Audience:  Principal Investigator & Study Staff

Instructions:  Follow the steps below to obtain a list of all training relating to animal research in eBridge.

1. Log into eBridge.
2. From your Dashboard, click on View My Researcher Profile under Activities. Doing so will take you to your Researcher Profile Workspace.
3. On the left side of the screen, click the link called Print Training Profile.
4. The next screen will display a list of all training documented in eBridge.
5. In the upper right of the screen, click the Print button for a hard copy, or print to PDF.

Audience:  Principal Investigator & Study Staff

Instructions:  Follow these steps to maintain current documentation of technical skills acquired from sources other than the BRC.  All Core Certification and training in technical skills provided by the BRC will be entered by IACUC Office or BRC personnel.

To update your technical skills, you may choose to use 1 of 2 activities that appear on your eBridge Researcher Profile Workspace:

1. Document Technical Skills on my Animal Training Record - You can execute this activity to document your own technical skills.
2. Update Access to My Researcher Profile - If you prefer to have someone else update your training record, you can choose to designate Authorized Updaters. This activity allows you to designate another person to add training on your behalf.

 

To complete the Document Technical Skills... activity:

1. Navigate to your Researcher Profile in eBridge by selecting View My Researcher Profile under Activities on your Dashboard.
2. Under Activities, select Document Technical Skills on My Animal Training Record.
3. In the pop-up window that appears, select Add, then select the information in the fields of the second pop-up window, such as Species, Technical Skill, etc.
   • If you have multiple skills to add per species at one time, use the OK and Add Another button.
4. Once you are done adding technical training and select OK, the top (second) pop-up box will close.
5. The (first) pop-up box behind this one, which contains the Add button for species, remains open and must be closed CORRECTLY to save your work.
   • DO NOT CLOSE THIS BOX BY USING THE X IN THE RIGHT CORNER.
   • Click the OK button in the bottom right corner of the screen. You may have to scroll down to find it.
6. You will receive an email confirming the successful addition of the new training.
7. The new technical skills will display in the Researcher Profile under the My Animal Training tab.

 

To complete the Update Access to My Researcher Profile activity:

1. Navigate to your Researcher Profile in eBridge by selecting View My Research Profile under Activities on your Dashboard.
2. Under Activities, select Update Access to My Researcher Profile.
3. A pop-up window will appear with two options for this activity:
   1. Add a person and give them Read Access to your Profile.
   2. Add a person and allow them to add Animal Technical Skills on your behalf.
4. Start typing the name of the person you wish to have access to your Researcher Profile directly into the text box or select the Add button. When the appropriate name appears, click on it to select the person.
5. When you are finished adding all the names you wish to add, select OK at the bottom of the pop-up window.
6. You will receive an email confirming the successful update.
7. The SmartForm of your Researcher Profile will display in the name(s) of the people you added.