Animal Research

Western Colorado University IACUC

Western Colorado University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees the University’s animal care and use program and is responsible for reviewing all animal care applications using vertebrate animals, ensuring compliance with federal animal welfare regulations, inspecting animal facilities and investigator laboratories, investigating animal concerns, and overseeing training and educational programs.

Faculty who conduct research or educational programs using live vertebrate animals, are required to submit an application describing their proposed research to the IACUC. The information requested in the application is dictated by federal, state, and institutional policies, standards, and regulations. The requested information is essential for the IACUC to determine whether the proposed use animals is justified, humane, and complies with existing policies and regulations. Before the described activities and any live vertebrate animal work can begin, the IACUC must review and approve the application.

Questions

For more information about the IACUC, please contact the IACUC Office at irb@western.edu or contact the IRB Chair, Dr. Lindsey Fast at 970.943.2057.

Protocol Application, Submission, and Review

Principal Investigators (PIs) planning to conduct research or teach with live vertebrate animals must submit an Animal Use Protocol (AUP) application to the IACUC for review and approval prior to acquisition and use of animals.  Please follow the IACUC application instructions.

IACUC Application and Protocol Preparation Checklist

Please review this checklist to ensure the IACUC protocol application is complete before submitting the application for review..

• Each member of the research team, including the faculty sponsor, must complete the CITI Laboratory Animal Welfare course and enroll in the Occupational Health Program.
• All other applicable approvals must have been obtained or are in process (IRB, SCRO, IBC, Radiation Safety Committee, etc.).
• Preparatory contact with the Department of Animal Research Services to discuss issues of animal sourcing, ordering, housing and husbandry.
• If research will be funded by an external sponsor (grant, contract or gift), proposal paperwork must be filed with the Sponsored Projects Office.
• All applicable sections of the IACUC application and protocol narrative are complete, including all specific descriptions of setting up breeding colonies or monoclonal antibody production.
• Investigators and personnel involved in the protocol preparation process are strongly advised to review the IACUC application instructions before completing the application and protocol narratives.

Training for Animal Researchers

As a Western Colorado University researcher who uses animals as a part of a research project, the Office of the Provost and Western Colorado University’s Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee (IACUC) require completion of the CITI online training courses in “Working with the IACUC” and any of the species-specific training courses offered.

Explore the CITI training website; there are instructions for using the site, including starting and completing training.

Once all applicable courses are completed, completion reports will be sent to the IRB electronically. By requiring researchers to complete these training courses, we fulfill our institutional obligation and the federal regulatory requirement to train and educate all researchers and personnel who use animals in the course of their research. Animal use protocols reviewed by the IACUC will not obtain final approval until all individuals listed on the protocol have completed training.

IACUC Calendar for 2023-24 Academic Year

Fall

Spring

IACUC Forms

• Protocol Application
• Annual Renewal Form
• Personnel Amendment Form
• Project Revision/Amendment Form
• Animal Transfer Form