Animal Welfare Training Requirements
Mandatory training for personnel involved in care and use of animals at Ecosystems Mission Area, USGS
The Ecosystems Mission Area (EMA) and the IACUCs require all scientists, research technicians, animal technicians and other personnel involved in animal care, treatment and use at EMA to be trained in the usage of animals.
The Ecosystems Mission Area utilizes a customized online tutorial to provide certification for animal care and use. (in construction)
- Investigators/Researchers will need to complete the “Working with the IACUC Course” (in construction)
- All personnel who work unsupervised with animals, prior performing such work will need to complete IACUC 101 (in construction). And retake it at least every three years thereafter
Personnel will have the opportunity to print a Training certificate upon completion of the training course and exam. A scanned copy of this certificate must be included in each IACUC submission.
Essential qualifications may vary with one’s duties but anyone performing any aspect of animal experimentation or husbandry must be sufficiently trained or experienced in the techniques they will perform to assure the resultant welfare of the animals. The IACUC is legally required by AWA to determine that personnel are qualified to properly perform animal-related duties conducted within the committee’s purview. Each Science Center IACUC proposal review request includes information about relevant experience and training of all personnel who will have responsibility for animal manipulations. In addition, each IACUC requires that the PI provide assurances that they, and personnel under their supervision, will be appropriately trained and qualified.
Links to IACUC Training Resources:
- Read the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals 2020 Edition
- Read the 2016 Guidelines of the American society of Mammologists for the use of wild mammals in research and education
- Read the American Fisheries Society, 2014. Guidelines for the use of fishes in research.
- Read the Ornithological Council, Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research
- Read the Herpetological Animal care and Use Committee of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, 2004.
- Read the Guidelines for use of live amphibians and reptiles in field and laboratory research.
Other Useful Links:
- Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC)
- Scientist Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW)
- Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)
- American Association for laboratory Animal Science (AAALAS)
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
- Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal care (AAALAC) Educational Outreach
