341 How the IACUC uses the Ag Guide to ensure the best care

Abstract

Abstract All Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) are all subject to the same regulatory requirements. Membership requirements (Scientist, Nonscientist, Attending Veterinarian, Public Members, and Chairperson) are established by the regulatory agencies and appointed by the Institutional Official (IO). Today we will review the basic role of the IACUC: reviewing animal use protocols, inspecting animal facilities and procedure areas, evaluating the program of animal care, investigating allegations of non-compliance, making recommendations to the institutional official about needed changes, and utilizing the Ag Guide as a guidance document. The role of the IACUC at Land Grant Institutions is confounded often by the variety of research that is conducted. At the University of Nebraska, we have traditional food and fiber, biomedical and wildlife research, which requires a diverse set of committee members to adequately review the animal care and use. All IACUC protocols, regardless of the species or funding mechanism, are required to address several common questions. As a principal investigator, you can help yourself tremendously by providing all the required information in a transparent, logical and organized manner. If you can anticipate your audience and provide key information in multiple formats, it will help streamline the review process. Based on membership requirements, most committee members will not come from agriculture backgrounds, so it is imperative you help the committee to understand standard agriculture practices. You can best accomplish this with standard operating procedures, herd management protocols, disaster plans, and veterinary care processes and provide photographs or short video clips of your proposed activities. Additionally, if you are asked to serve on this committee, be willing to proactively educate your peers on what is considered appropriate management, housing, experimental and humane endpoints. By acting as your own advocate, you can ensure good animal care as well as achieve timely approvals.