University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
DIVISION OF ANIMAL RESOURCES and
AGRICULTURAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE PROGRAM

Section 1

Regulations and Principles Related to Laboratory Animal Use

There ARE federal regulations and campus policies governing all use of vertebrate animals in research or instruction activities conducted at or sponsored by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). All faculty, students, staff, visitors and volunteers at UIUC who participate in research, teaching and/or testing using animals must adhere to these standards.

The UIUC is registered with the Secretary of Agriculture as a research facility in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act. In addition, in accordance with the Public Health Service Policy on the Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals the University maintains an animal welfare assurance with the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), National Institutes of Health. The Chancellor is the chief executive officer and the Vice Chancellor for Research serves as the institutional official. Responsibility for assuring compliance with state and federal laws and regulations has been delegated to the Vice Chancellor for Research.

Animal use conducted at or sponsored by the UIUC must:

• Be in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act; the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals; the U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training; the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals; and the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and teaching.
• Adhere to University policy and procedures administered through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, such as the University's Policy on Academic Integrity in Research (http://www.research.uiuc.edu/ai/).
• Adhere to policies and procedures adopted by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) - http://www.iacuc.uiuc.edu/policies.html.

The responsibilities of faculty using animals in research or teaching include obligations to:

1) Become knowledgeable about and conduct all research and inquiry in accordance with approved policies governing the care and use of laboratory animals.

2) Ensure that all research, teaching or testing using vertebrate animals in projects affiliated with the University of Illinois has been approved by the IACUC prior to initiation, irrespective of funding source.

3) Submit animal care and use protocols, amendments, and updates for use as needed by the IACUC and as required by campus policy.

4) Maintain complete records of procedures undertaken during all animal experiments.

5) Use animals in approved animal care unit facilities. Where research protocols dictate unusual environmental, dietary, or colony requirements that cannot be met in approved animal care unit facilities, faculty must advise the campus IACUC and the Division of Animal Resources (DAR) in advance of the proposed animal use activity. Animal housing outside approved animal units must be inspected and approved by the committee prior to use.

6) Maintain a scholarly, sensitive, and respectful environment during all animal experimentation.

7) Participate in continuing education and training programs designed to keep investigators abreast of the latest regulations and procedures in animal research.

8) Emphasize the role of laboratory animals when presenting research results or discussing human diseases with lay audiences and describe the contributions of humanely conducted animal studies to the development of new technologies and treatment capabilities.

Regulatory Links

The Animal Care (AC) unit of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) enforces the Animal Welfare Act and resulting regulations. To learn more about AC and the Animal Welfare Act, you may go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/index.shtml.

The Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals was created to implement the Health Research Extension Act. The Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) at the National Institutes of Health enforces the Policy. OLAW provides specific guidance, instruction, and materials to institutions that must comply with PHS Policy. Their website is http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/olaw.htm.

In general, PHS Policy requires adherence to The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Principal investigators with animal use protocols approved by the University of Illinois IACUC may request copies of the Guide by contacting the IACUC (iacuc@iacuc.uiuc.edu). This document is available on-line at http://books.nap.edu/books/0309053773/html/.

The Federation of Animal Science Societies produces the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching. Experts in agricultural husbandry, many from the University of Illinois, have contributed information based on current research and best practices to create a set of guidelines, which are generally accepted by the USDA, and other agencies evaluating the quality of agricultural animal care programs. The IACUC evaluates the University's agricultural animal care and use programs based on this "Ag Guide." The Federation of Animal Science Societies can be contacted at http://www.fass.org.

last updated: February 16, 2006, April 24, 2006