iacuc-protocol-drafter

What This Skill Does

The iacuc-protocol-drafter skill is a specialized tool designed to streamline the administrative burden of preparing Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) applications. Animal research requires rigorous ethical oversight, and the '3Rs' principles (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) are the cornerstone of global animal welfare standards. This skill automates the drafting of these complex sections by leveraging structured JSON input to produce formal, policy-compliant text. It helps researchers move from experimental design to finalized documentation, ensuring that justifications for animal use, sample size calculations, and welfare management strategies are clearly articulated, consistent, and professional.

Installation

To integrate this skill into your environment, use the OpenClaw command-line interface. Run the following command in your terminal:

clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/aipoch-ai/iacuc-protocol-drafter

Ensure you have Python 3.8 or higher installed on your system, as the skill operates as a standalone script utilizing standard libraries, requiring no complex dependency management.

Use Cases

This skill is ideal for principal investigators, laboratory managers, and graduate students who frequently submit protocols to animal ethics boards. Use it when:

1. Drafting new study applications requiring formal 3Rs justification.
2. Updating existing protocols to align with revised institutional welfare policies.
3. Creating standardized templates for laboratory research groups to ensure consistency across multiple submissions.

Example Prompts

1. "Draft an IACUC protocol based on the data in study_proposal.json, ensuring the refinement section emphasizes our new enrichment protocols for rodents."
2. "Use the iacuc-protocol-drafter to create a standard application for the upcoming pilot study, making sure to highlight why in vitro alternatives were insufficient."
3. "Generate an IACUC protocol draft using the minimal template for a minor study modification, focusing primarily on the pain management and humane endpoints section."

Tips & Limitations

While the skill produces a high-quality initial draft, it is not a substitute for the final review by your local Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. The generated text should be considered a starting point; always consult your institution's specific guidelines regarding formatting, required headers, and regulatory compliance before submission. Ensure your input JSON contains accurate, verifiable scientific data, particularly concerning sample size calculations and pain categories, as these have significant regulatory implications. Always verify the draft against local institutional policies to ensure compliance with specific regional laws and mandates.