The process of performing animal experiments (and possibly experimental work in general) is primarily stifled by the cyclic dependency of funding and ethics approval. No intrinsic priority exists between the two, but due to the time frames (fixed as opposed to running deadlines), it is best to commence ethics approval work before any funding is secured — unintuitive as this may sound.
Ethics approval is obtained from IACUC. Please plan for ample time to obtain approval (6 months could be considered safe), as the approval might require significant editing, and novel issues may be raised by the approval body, after an initial set of issues has been addressed. This is particularly true if it is your first application. Although it is nominally a single form, this belies the complexity of the process, which encompasses a series of side-quests extending far beyond the actual documents, and includes at least the following:
Depending on the proposed procedures, a series of training sessions will need to be completed. IACUC will notify the applicant of which these are. Note, however, that all people mentioned in the application will need to complete these trainings, which may lead to issues if a mentor who does not perform animal work (e.g. Yaro) is included in the list.
The application needs to contain specific information about where the animals will be housed, where reagents will be stored, and where work will be performed. CON does not own any facilities for housing animals, storing scheduled substances or veterinary-grade reagents, or performing animal work. It will likely be impossible to obtain approval independently of a collaboration with colleagues who already perform animal work. Contacts can be sought with Dartmouth-Hitchcock, or PBS.
Intramural funds are available from e.g. the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Foundation but they are comparatively modest, at most suited for a pilot. Larger amounts of funding may be contingent on prior results, so the above might be the best line of funding to seek out first.
Once all of the above is in order, animals can be ordered via a procurement system, such as e.g. Cayuse. A housing account is required but may not be automatically assigned to you. If you do not have one, Lisa A. Lee may be able to help — though it is not her purview, so she would just know whom to redirect you to (it will not be DBIC staff).