Concerns Involving Animal Care and Use

IACUC Policy: 017-06, Effective Date: 10/2002, Last Revision: 02/17/2023

Overview/Purpose

The Ohio State University encourages all faculty, staff, students, and volunteers, acting in good faith, to report suspected or actual wrongful conduct associated with the use and care of animals. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is required by regulatory agencies to review, and if warranted, investigate reports of concern involving animal care and use.

Definitions

• Noncompliance: Failure (intentional or unintentional) to comply with applicable federal regulations, state or local law, requirements or determinations of the IACUC, or university policy regarding research or teaching involving animals.
• Allegation of noncompliance: An unconfirmed report of noncompliance.

Requirements

Concerns about animal's health and safety or noncompliance with IACUC protocols, procedures, or policies may be made to the IACUC, the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK) Attending Veterinarian, anonymous reporting line or IACUC Support Team. Contact information is posted in the core animal facilities and on the Animal Care and Use website. Allegations of animal concerns/non-compliance are investigated by the IACUC in accordance with standard procedures. Anonymous hotline concerns involving animals are forwarded to the IACUC Support Team via the Office of Research Compliance (ORC).

Allegations of noncompliance will remain confidential to the extent permitted by Ohio law, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation. The university will take reasonable steps to protect persons who file reports in good faith from retaliatory actions based on such filing, in accordance with the Ohio State Whistleblower Policy 1.40. The person named in the allegation and the Principal Investigator (PI) of the study, if applicable, will be notified if an investigation is warranted.

The IACUC Chair or Vice-Chair, ERIK Attending Veterinarian, or Institutional Official (IO) may temporarily stop any activity involving the use of animals and impose sanctions on an investigator’s research and/or secure critical documents at any time if necessary to assure animal health and safety. Suspension or termination of a protocol may be approved only by the IACUC at a convened meeting. Noncompliance determined to be serious and/or continuing or any suspension or termination of IACUC approval must be reported to Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), funding agencies and others (e.g., Sponsored Programs) as necessary, in accordance with The Ohio State University’s OLAW Assurance and Federal Regulations.

Applicable Regulations

• Animal Welfare Act and Regulations
• Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Eighth Edition
• AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals
• Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals, Fourth Edition

Additional Information/Guidance

• Ohio State Whistleblower Policy 1.40 (03/01/06)
• IACUC SOP “Procedure for Investigating Concerns Involving Animal Care and Use”