Client Consent Form Guidelines

  1. All studies using privately-owned animals in the Colorado State University Veterinary Medical Center (CSU-VMC) must have a client consent form approved by the Clinical Research Review Board (CRB) prior to study initiation.
  2. A template including key elements that should be included in the Client Consent Form is available on the CRB website. This template contains the basic elements for informed consent (as described by the Department of Health and Human Services), which include:
    1. An explanation of the purposes of the study.
    2. The expected duration of the subject’s participation
    3. A description of the procedures to be followed
    4. Identification of any procedures which are experimental
    5. A description of any reasonably foreseeable risks or discomforts to the subject that are related to the study.
    6. A description of any benefits to the subject or to others that may reasonably be expected from the research
    7. A disclosure of appropriate alternative procedures or courses of treatment, if any, that might be advantageous to the subject
    8. A statement that this study may not improve the animal’s outcomes or disease status.
    9. A statement describing the extent, if any, to which confidentiality of records identifying the subject will be maintained
    10. For research involving more than minimal risk, an explanation as to whether any compensation, and an explanation as to whether any medical treatments are available, if injury occurs and, if so, what they consist of, or where further information may be obtained
    11. A statement that participation is voluntary, refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which the subject is otherwise entitled, and the subject may discontinue participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits, to which the subject is otherwise entitled.
    12. Statement of any compensation for enrolling in the study.
    13. Statement regarding source of funding for the study.
    14. Statement regarding potential financial conflicts of interest for the study.
    15. Dates and signatures.
  3. Consent Forms are submitted with the study protocol for review in Kuali Protocols.
  4. Consent Forms must include CSU and the CSU PI/primary CSU contact information.

*All studies involving privately-owned animals require either IACUC or CRB approval prior to study initiation.  Please see the CSU IACUC  and CRB websites for further information.   

Download the PDF version of the Client Consent Form Guidelines