The University of Arizona Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Handbook

The Animal Care and Use Program is centralized under the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR). Oversight for the program is vested in the Department of University Animal Care (UAC) and with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The Director of UAC reports to the VPR. UAC is responsible for overseeing all animal care and husbandry functions for the University. All conventional laboratory animal facilities are under the direct control of UAC. Facilities housing nontraditional species (reptiles, amphibians, wild birds, insects) are staffed by the individual departments or investigators, but UAC provides veterinary and husbandry oversight and has the authority to make changes in management of these facilities. The University Farms are operated by the College of Agriculture, with oversight by the UAC Farm Animal Veterinarian.

The IACUC provides oversight for the total animal care and use program. The committee is appointed by the University President who is the Chief Executive Officer. The Vice President for Research is the Institutional Official, and the IACUC provides reports to the VPR as mandated by PHS Policy and regulations of the Animal Welfare Act. The Committee maintains a membership of 14-16 members, including veterinarians, scientists, and several community members. The Animal Welfare Act (USDA Research Facility Registration 86-3) including reviewing all studies, classes, and experiments which require the use of any animal (exception: terrestrial invertebrates) species, living or dead. The Committee makes semiannual inspections of all facilities, laboratories and farms where animals are housed or used for 12 hours or more and performs semiannual programmatic reviews. Committee members, or designees, inspect research laboratories to observe procedures to assure animals are used appropriately and are receiving humane treatment. Through the expertise of the UAC staff and other specialists, the Committee provides training for all who use or care for animals. Access to animal facilities is limited to those who have received IACUC certification.

The entire animal care and use program and its associated facilities and farms are AAALAC accredited. Three central facilities house conventional laboratory animals. The Arizona Health Sciences Central Facility (AHSC - 34,000 gsf) serves investigators on the North Campus. The Central Animal Facility (CAF - 25,000 gsf) and adjacent Veterinary Science/Microbiology Facility (V/M - 2,000 gsf) serve users on the Main Campus. As facilities are operated centrally, animals can be moved between facilities, as needed, to meet the housing needs of investigators. Several satellite facilities house nontraditional species such as fish, reptiles, birds, and insects. The University also maintains domestic farm animals in the following locations: University Dairy, Campbell Avenue Farm, and West Campus Agricultural Center.

This web page is maintained by University Animal Care