100-17 Research and Instruction Using Animal Subjects

Effective Date: 1/1/92 (revised 12/7/04)
Office of Origin: Office of Research

I. Purpose

The University has established policies on the use of animal subjects to promote their humane care and use in research and instruction and to ensure institutional compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations and University policies governing the use of animals.

II. Definitions

Institutional Care and Use Committee: the generic name for a board, committee, or other group formally designated by an institution to oversee the institution's animal program, facilities, and procedures.

III. Policy

This policy is applicable to all research, research training, instructional, and biological testing activities involving live vertebrate animals conducted at UCSF or its facilities or affiliates, as defined in UCSF Assurance of Compliance with Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
  1. UCSF complies with all applicable provisions of the Animal Welfare Act, the Public Health Service policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and other federal regulations and policies relating to the use of animals in research and instruction.
  2. UCSF is directed by the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NIH Publication No. 86-23).
  3. UCSF accepts responsibility for the care and use of animals involved in activities covered by the UCSF Assurance of Compliance with Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. To fulfill this responsibility, UCSF makes every reasonable effort to assure that all individuals involved in the care and use of laboratory animals understand their individual and collective responsibilities for compliance with this assurance as well as all other applicable laws and regulations pertaining to animal care and use.
  4. UCSF grants or subcontracts Public Health Service supported activity involving the use of laboratory animals to another institution only when that institution has an approved UCSF Assurance of Compliance with Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
  5. UCSF maintains a program for activities involving animals in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
  6. UCSF has established an institutional animal care and use committee, called the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), which is qualified through the experience and expertise of its members to oversee the institution's animal program, facilities, and procedures.

IV. Responsibility

    A. Executive Vice Chancellor

    The Executive Vice Chancellor:

  1. Is responsible for compliance with federal and state regulations and statutes, and University policies on the care and use of animals in research and instruction.  
  2. May disapprove applications that are approved by IACUC, which has the sole authority to approve applications for the use of animals in research and training at UCSF.  
  3. Appoints the IACUC after consultation with appropriate constituencies.  
  4. Has delegated the daily operations of the animal care and use program to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research.  

    B. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)  

    In order to fulfill its charge, it is the responsibility of IACUC  to:  

  1. Review at least once every six months the UCSF program for humane care and use of animals;  
  2. Inspect at least once every six months the UCSF animal care facilities, including satellite facilities;  
  3. Make written recommendations to the Executive Vice Chancellor regarding any aspect of the UCSF animal program, facilities, or personnel training;  
  4. Review all applications for proposed use of live vertebrates for research and teaching;  
  5. Notify investigators and appropriate UCSF officials in writing of its decision to approve or withhold approval of applications or modifications of ongoing activities;  
  6. Review concerns involving the care and use of animals at UCSF;  
  7. Suspend any activity found to be out of compliance with applicable laws or regulations or at variance with the relevant protocol approved by IACUC;  
  8. Notify investigators, appropriate UCSF officials, and appropriate federal oversight agencies of any suspensions and the corrective actions taken when reinstatement of the approval occurs.  

    C. Principal Investigator

    The principal investigator is responsible for:

  1. The continued ethical conduct of any research or instruction using live vertebrate animals, in compliance with the protocol as approved by IACUC; 
  2. Submitting applications (initial, renewal, and modifications) and adverse events reports to allow sufficient time for review and processing;  
  3. Ensuring that involved staff and students have been sufficiently trained and know how to handle and properly care for the species of animal being used in teaching or research;    
  4.  Ensuring that all personnel listed in an approved protocol have read, understand and are thoroughly familiar with all aspects of the study.  

    D. Department Chair

          The department chair is responsible for:

    1. Reviewing activities involving the use of animals in research and training within his or her department to determine that proper review and approval have been obtained;  
    2. Ensuring that departmental review committees are established and maintained.  

    E. Departmental Review Committees

    Departmental review committees are responsible for reviewing for scientific merit those IACUC applications that have not previously been reviewed and/or will not be reviewed in a competitive funding process.

    F. Clinical Veterinarians

    Clinical veterinarians are responsible for:

    1. The prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease in laboratory animals;  
    2. Advising investigators regarding the use of models for research projects, proper anesthetic techniques, and control of animal and human pathogens;  
    3. Conducting training programs for investigators, staff, and students in the proper care and use of animals;    
    4.  Reporting to the IACUC any serious or ongoing concerns regarding the care and use of animals. 

    Clinical veterinarians are authorized to terminate immediately any activity that is out of compliance with approved or accepted procedures or that poses an imminent threat to the welfare of a laboratory animal.

V. Related Policies

VI. References