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About
IACUC

Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee

The Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) ensures institutional compliance with federal regulations that govern animal care and use for all research, teaching, and training projects.

Announcement

Please Note: IACUC submissions and questions from all campuses should be directed to IACUC-Office@tufts.edu, where they will be responded to by the first available IACUC staff member. Due to staffing transitions, the IACUC Office anticipates some delay in submission turn-around and response times across all campuses until additional staff are in place. Please plan your submissions and research activities accordingly.

About

Each institution that utilizes regulated species and that receives federal funding for research must have in place an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). This Committee is mandated through two different federal regulations in order to ensure institutional compliance. Each institution provides a “contract” with federal granting agencies that the institution will uphold the regulations that govern laboratory animal care and use. This agreement with the federal government is our Public Health Service Assurance document, approved by the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This Assurance must be in place so that our institution can receive federal funding for animal research.

Our IACUC ensures compliance by monitoring animal care and use through different mechanisms:

  1. Review and approval of all research and procedures proposed through the use of protocols and amendments.
  2. Inspection of all animal facilities and laboratories where animal work occurs.
  3. Review and generation of institutional policies and guidelines.
  4. Reports to the federal agencies.

The IACUC is comprised of institutional scientists that use animals, veterinarians, non-scientists, and at least one non-affiliated member to represent community interests and concerns. The IACUC serves as a resource for investigators and research staff on the use of animals in research, teaching, and training.