Project Management

Animal Care and Usage

All investigators planning to utilize vertebrate animals, live or dead, in any activity, regardless of source of funding or format of the project submission, must submit a protocol for approval. The application must be submitted to the IACUC's Chair, Dr. Patrick Pan, located in 236 Pioneer Hall, prior to the deadline. Required form is available below for download.

The United States Department of Agriculture has put forth guidelines that are to be used as a reference for the inspection of USDA registered research facilities. The USDA has outlined different inspection procedures, as well as laboratory requirements that must be followed when animals are used in research, including the proper upkeep and maintenance of animals for their welfare. The USDA also outlines responsibilities for the IACUC to follow and uphold. The link is available here.

An IACUC Member's Guide to Animal Facility Inspections

Overview

An IACUC Member's Guide to Animal Facility Inspections is a free, online course primarily intended for persons sitting on an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) who conduct mandated inspections of animal facilities for compliance with U.S. regulatory standards. This includes veterinarians, scientists, public committee members, and administrators. The course can be used as primer for new committee members, as a resource for more veteran members, or it may function as a field guide when loaded on a mobile computer.

The course addresses the regulatory requirements for animal facilities, including housing, surgery, cleaning, and storage areas. Each area is presented in a 360-degree panoramic image containing some commonly inspected items. The module provides tips for inspecting items and links to relevant regulatory documentation. Users may test their understanding with questions provided for each inspection item and with a quiz after completing the virtual tours. The time needed to complete the session is approximately 90 minutes, but may be longer depending on links to additional resources that are accessed and reviewed. This introductory course is not intended to be comprehensive. The course can be accessed via the Office of Research Integrity's web site http://ori.dhhs.gov.  Later it will be housed in the RCR education section under Animals.

Electronic Application Form

• Project Application (Protocol Certification) .rtf
• What investigators need to know about the use of animals .doc

Saginaw Valley State University
Position on Animal Care and Usage

As an ethical and responsible institution of higher education, SVSU must assure its various constituencies that it is using reasonable care and judgment in the care and use of animals for purposes of teaching and research. SVSU recognizes that animals are necessary in certain research activities and that some students must be trained in the appropriate care and use of animals in preparation for future employment or graduate education.

SVSU uses test methodologies that are the standards of health and safety regulatory agencies worldwide. When laboratory animals must be used, they are cared for by professionals and handled with dignity. While SVSU uses no animals regulated by law, all animals will be cared for and used in accordance with applicable regulations within the constraints of available resources. Furthermore, to insure that animal testing is necessary and reasonable, SVSU has an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee that reviews the well-being of our laboratory animals and the tests in which they are used.

SVSU participates in several organizations that obtain and share safety data and seeks to find test methods that are acceptable alternatives to live animal tests. SVSU’s commitment to animal welfare includes the minimization of the number of studies that require the testing of laboratory animals and reduces the number of animals used.

SVSU Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Membership Roster

Links to Animal Care and Usage On-line Module Courses

• National Institutes of Health
  This site offers courses to assist with animal research concerning primates and laboratory dogs.  A training CD is also available in the development of rodent surgery and biomethodology for laboratory mice.
• Office of Animal Care and Use (OACU)
  This site provides an overview of research guidelines for the principal investigator and animal user, which fulfill federal requirements.  The site also provides useful forms, regulations and standards, recommended links, and NIH policy.
• American Association for Laboratory Animal Science
  This site offers courses in laboratory animal medicine, mouse biomethodology, and several animal research methodologies.