Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
The University's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees the university's animal care and use programs, facilities and procedures ensuring the appropriate care, use and humane treatment of animals being used for research, testing and teaching, whether that use is biomedical, basic sciences, or agricultural. The IACUC must review ALL requests to use vertebrate animals BEFORE that use may begin. The IACUC must ensure all work with animals complies with any and all applicable federal, state, and international regulations. The IACUC also performs inspections of any areas where animals are housed and used, as well and overseeing mandatory training and educational programs for all who will be involved with any animal use. While the IACUC is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance, the committee views its role as one of service to the faculty, technicians, students, and administrators, as well as the general public, providing guidance in ensuring the highest quality of animal care coexistent with attaining the ultimate in quality scientific results.
Contact Information: The Office of Laboratory Animal Medicine (OLAM) provides administrative support for the IACUC. Contact this office at:
Office of Laboratory Animal Medicine/MS 340
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557
(775) 784-4874
Required Training: All faculty, technicians, staff, and in some cases students and visitors who will contact animals or engage in animal work must complete specific training before they will be allowed to perform this work. The minimum training required is outlined by federal regulations and policies. The University's IACUC utilizes online training provided by the CITI program for this training (www.citiprogram.org). Additional training is available through the OLAM office for specific procedures or to address specific questions.
Occupational Health: Similarly, all individuals who will be exposed to animals or their tissues must enroll in the University's IACUC Occupational Health program. (Download form for this program [Word].) Note that you may decline to participate in the program beyond completing the form or you may participate in the plan fully. While either option is acceptable, you must at a minimum complete and return the form before you will be allowed to work with animals or their tissues. Please return completed forms to the OLAM address listed above in a sealed envelope, writing your name on the exterior of the envelope. Note that no one in the OLAM office will read the form, they only note that you returned the form before sending the form to occupational health nursing staff. If you chose to participate in the program and have an occupational risk for working with animals, the occupational health professional staff will contact you to discuss methods to minimize your occupational risk.
Protocol forms: Before you can begin work with any animals, or perhaps even animal tissues, you must receive approval from the IACUC for your proposed work. IACUC protocol forms are online at: http://esirius.unr.edu/esirius/. Please contact the OLAW office for information regarding logging into this system or completing the protocol. Any proposed changes to protocols (amendments) must also be approved before the changes occur. Forms for amending existing protocols as well as forms for required annual reviews of animal work are also available on the eSirius site listed above.
IACUC Functions:
In compliance with the Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Policy regarding Vertebrate Animal Use, the IACUC oversees all animal related work. The committee also oversees the occupational health and safety program for those who work with animals or animal tissues. This oversight includes review of all studies, classes, and experiments which require the use of any vertebrate animal species, living or dead. The IACUC is composed of several research scientists, at least one veterinarian, and community representatives.