Animal Care
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is a federally mandated committee that reviews all protocols involving animals to ensure that they are justified by their benefits and minimize any animal pain or suffering that might occur. The use of animal research and teaching is a privilege that comes with both professional and moral obligations.
The IACUC is dedicated to supporting the education and research mission of UHCL while maintaining compliance with Federal and State animal care principles, guidelines, and regulations. This is achieved by the review and approval of all projects in teaching and research involving the use of live vertebrate animals by the IACUC prior to initiation.
In addition, the IACUC also reviews the institutional program for animal use and conducts inspections of all areas where animals are housed and used.
If you have any concerns, fill out an Animal Incident Report and submit it to the IACUC Chair at wardchris@uhcl.edu any other member of the IACUC, or file a complaint.
Resources
- Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8th Ed. (National Research Council, 2010)
- AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia (American Veterinary Medical Association, 2020)
- NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)
- USDA Animal Welfare Act and Regulations
- USDA Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC)
- USDA National Agricultural Library - Searching for alternatives to the use of laboratory animals
For IACUC Members
Animal Use Forms
- IACUC Protocol Form (revised November 2020)
- Instructions for Completing and Submitting IACUC Protocols
- Animal Incident Report
- Occupational Health & Safety Program (OHSP) Training, Forms and Instructions
Animal Use Training
To work on an IACUC-approved protocol, you must complete the Investigator, Staff, and student Basic Course and any species-specific course available through the CITI training website. There are other training modules that can be completed depending on the type of animal research being conducted. If you have questions, please contact the IACUC Chair. Refresher training is required every three years.