Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC)

UWF policy requires that all educational, training, or research activities involving vertebrate animal subjects, at any UWF campus or by any UWF faculty, staff or student, must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee prior to initiation. ANY PURCHASE OF ANIMALS FOR RESEARCH MUST BE APPROVED BY THE IACUC PRIOR TO PURCHASE, REGARDLESS OF THE SOURCE OF FUNDING.

Recent Updates

Principal Investigators on IACUC applications are required to be UWF faculty. Students may be listed as co-investigators or additional personnel.

Procedures and Guidelines

For faculty, staff or students working in direct contact with animals:

• Required Reading: Practice and Procedures for the UWF Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• Required Reading: Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals - 8th Edition
• When do I submit an IACUC application?

Required Training

1. Primary investigators, co-investigators, and listed assistants working with vertebrate animals for educational, training, or research activities must complete the required CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) course: “Working with the IACUC”.
2. If animal protocols include the following species, listed investigators, co-investigators and assistants must take the corresponding species-specific CITI course:
   • Frogs, Toads or other Amphibians
   • Mice (Family: Muridae Cricetidae)
   • Rats (Genus: Rattus)
   • Hamsters (Family: Muridae)
   • Guinea Pigs
   • Fish
   • Zebrafish
   • Wildlife Research
3. Investigators and personnel working on animal protocols that include antibody production, aseptic surgery, or procedures that include more than momentary pain and distress must take the corresponding CITI course.

IACUC CITI Instructions on how to access the required CITI course(s) regarding animal use and care. These courses are free for all UWF faculty, staff and students. Completed CITI training certificates should be included in any IACUC application.

Forms for Researchers

IACUC Amendment Form	Researchers must use this form when submitting an amendment request.
IACUC Annual Report Form	This report is to be completed at the end of the first and second year of the protocol. Protocols expire at the end of the third year; to continue the study, a new application must be submitted.
IACUC Application Form 2017‌‌ (PDF)	Researchers must use this form when submitting a project for IACUC approval.
IACUC Field Collections for Student Research and Teaching (PDF)	Researchers planning to conduct animal field collections for use in student research and teaching must submit this form to IACUC for approval.
IACUC Final Report Form	To close out an animal research protocol. To be completed within 30 days of an approved animal care and use protocol ending.
IACUC Holding Protocol	A required temporary hold for animals on campus for care only that are not assigned to an active IACUC protocol.
IACUC Water Parameter and Feeding Observation Log	Template for aquatic species.

Questions or to report animal welfare concerns? Contact Natalie Mead or 850.474.3484.

Designing your Research Project

Researchers should use the following resources when designing research activities involving vertebrate animals to ensure that animal safety and welfare are protected.

• Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Details outlined in this guide serve as a basis for setting minimum standards of animal care; includes information on animal environment, housing, husbandry, and more.
• AVMA Euthanasia Guidelines
• UWF IACUC Disaster Plan
• Replacement, Reduction and Refinement: Collection of resources for the development of alternatives for animal testing

Other Resources

Researchers engaged in activities involving animals must be aware of the regulations involved with the care and use of animals. The guidance provided here can assist researchers with planning safe and ethical animal research.

• Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Guidebook for committee members

Federal Regulations

Animal care and use activities associated with projects funded through the Public Health Service (PHS) must comply with regulations set forth by the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).

• PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• NIH Tutorials on Animal Care and Use
• U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training

USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the main body involved in the regulation of animal use.  USDA-regulated species include all live or dead warm-blooded animals used in research except rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus bred for research. 

• Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC), US Department of Agriculture
• AWIC Animal Legislation and Policies

UWF Credentials: 

USDA Registration #58-R-0156