About the IACUC
Federal regulations and accreditation standards require that all proposed uses of animals undergo review by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The IACUC is a faculty committee responsible for reviewing all animal use protocols, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, inspecting animal facilities and laboratories and overseeing training and educational programs. The primary role of IACUC is to ensure the ethical and humane care and use of animals in research, testing and teaching.
Specifically, the IACUC must assure that:
- procedures involving animals will avoid or minimize discomfort, distress, and pain to the animals;
- alternatives to procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals have been considered;
- animal activities do not unnecessarily duplicate previous experiments;
- procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals are performed with appropriate sedatives, analgesics or anesthetics; and do not include the use of paralytics without anesthesia;
- animals that would otherwise experience severe or chronic pain or distress that cannot be relieved will be painlessly euthanized at the end of the procedure or, if appropriate, during the procedure;
- the animals' living conditions will be appropriate for their species in accordance with federal regulations,
- medical care for animals will be available and provided as necessary by a qualified veterinarian;
- personnel conducting procedures on the species being maintained or studied are appropriately qualified and trained in those procedures; and
- activities that involve surgery include appropriate provision for pre-operative and post-operative care of the animals in accordance with established veterinary medical and nursing practices, including the use of aseptic techniques as appropriate.
The committee is composed of scientists, non-scientists, veterinarians and community members. Members are appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Research, the UCI Official responsible for the animal care and use program. All faculty researchers who utilize animal are encouraged to volunteer their time to serve on the IACUC.
UCI's animal care and use program is regulated by both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Public Health Service. In addition, UCI's animal care and use program is fully accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, an independent, international organization that inspects and evaluates animal research programs and facilities.
