Orientation to the CSULB Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Policies
The IACUC has taken several fundamental positions as continuous policy:
- All live vertebrate animals regardless of species are considered to have the potential for suffering under adverse laboratory circumstances and, therefore, the Committee treats each proposal to use live vertebrate animals as if the campus were inspected by the USDA in this specific area.
- The Attending Veterinarian is a "partner" in each research project and is consulted prior to the submission of research protocols. Similarly, the Attending Veterinarian is consulted immediately under those circumstances specifically indicated in the protocol and in any unusual situation.
- The Committee wishes to provide the most efficient level of responsiveness to researcher needs. Projects are approved for up to three years, with mandatory annual reports. Researchers must have an annual report approved prior to the expiry of the "research year" in order to continue the research. Minor modifications are usually handled within 3 - 4 working days following consultation with the Attending Veterinarian.
