Animal Care at ESF
- Christopher Whipps, IACUC Chair
Welcome to ESF's Animal Care web resource maintained by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Learn about ESF's committment to animal welfare and the obligations of faculty and students for complying with Federal and State regulations.
The ESF IACUC has the responsibility for implementing the College's overall Program for Animal Welfare. The IACUC's membership and activities are designed to meet or exceed all federal, state, and local regulations/guidelines, as well as those stemming from granting agencies.
The IACUC has the obligation to prospectively review all uses of living vertebrate animals on campus for teaching and field research. Thereafter, the IACUC monitors all animals on campus to insure that they receive the highest standard of care. In addition, the IACUC makes recommendations regarding capture, immobilization, anesthetization, handling and treatment of animal research subjects of field studies.
Please follow the links provided on the left to learn more about our committee's policies and practices. College personnel involved in the use of living vertebrate animals are obligated to be familiar with all pertinent regulations and to conform with all applicable rules.
The Protocol Development Process
- Protocol Form in Word Format (updated August 20, 2019)
Please follow the link above to download a copy of our IACUC protocol form. The Animal Care Resources page has links to several useful guides that will help with the application. In particular, applicants need to consider the USDA Pain Levels categories in their protocol. Prospective users are encouraged to consult with Christopher Whipps (IACUC Chair) for assistance in preparing the application and in navigating the review process. He can be reached at 315-470-4762 or at cwhipps@esf.edu.
Training
Training sessions are conducted periodically by the IACUC chair and as past of seminar classes. CITI training online is required for all inverstigators. See training link. Project specific training will be determined on a protocol to protocol basis.
Risk-based occupational health and safety program
for personnel working in laboratory animal facilities and personnel who have frequent contact with animals is as follows:
- The Occupational Health and Safety program is overseen by the campus Environmental Health and Safety Officer, working with the IACUC and an Occupational Health professional on contract with the university.
- Participation in the program is mandatory for all personnel involved in animal handling and care. Personnel listed on an animal care protocol must be enrolled in the program to approval of that activity, or approval of new personnel to begin work on an existing protocol.
Description of the Program can be found here
Download the required health history evaluation form
Meeting Dates
Meetings occur at least twice a year, but may may occur as often as every 2 months. Submit new protocols 6-8 weeks in advance of meetings to ensure adequate time for review and any revisions. Typically they occur in the following months:
- February - if necessary
- April - Semi-annual review
- June - if necessary
- August - if necessary
- October - Semi-annual review
- December - if necessary
Continuing Review and Protocol Amendment
Once a protocol is approved, in accordance with animal welfare guidelines, the ESF IACUC requires annual continuing review of all active protocols. It is the responsibility of the investigator to submit these continuing reviews on the anniversary date of approval. Failure to submit the annual report may result in the expiration of the protocol.
If any change is anticipated that is not covered by the approved protocol, the investigator must submit an amendment form for approval prior to a change taking place. If an unexpected change occurs, the IACUC must be informed and a protocol amendment form submitted.
Expressions of Concern/Complaints
ESF takes its obligations to animal welfare very seriously. If anyone develops a concern about the treatment of any animal on campus or in field research projects, that person is encouraged to contact Christopher Whipps (IACUC Chair) at 315-470-4762 or at cwhipps@esf.edu. Alternatively, the concern can be expressed Dr. Christopher Nomura (Vice President for Research) at 315-470-6606 or at ctnomura@esf.edu. Any concern expressed in this way will be addressed by the ESF Consulting Veterinarian and by the full IACUC membership.
