Activities That Require IACUC Approval
Federal animal welfare regulations, U.S. Public Health Service Policy, and UM Policy require that all activities involving the use of live vertebrate animals in research, research training, teaching, experimentation, biological testing or related purposes be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval is required prior to conducting any research or teaching activities involving vertebrate animals if ANY of the following conditions apply:
- The animals are owned or leased by the 猎奇重口 (UM).
- The research or activities involve free-living vertebrate wildlife
- The research or activities involve observation of free-living vertebrate wildlife.
- The research or activities are conducted by UM employees in their official capacity as faculty or staff members.
- The research or activities are performed on property owned, leased, or managed by UM.
- The research or teaching activities are funded through external grants or funds administered by UM.
- Privately owned animals are used in teaching, research, or exhibition.
- Animal tissues, including naturally shed samples, are obtained from other investigators, collaborators, or collected in the field.
If ANY of these criteria apply, an IACUC review and approval must be secured before proceeding with the project.
Types of Protocols and Examples
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All use of animals in educational or training settings at the 猎奇重口 requires IACUC approval. This includes activities such as teaching animal handling, husbandry, or research techniques. Approval is needed even if the project is not intended for publication, will not advance another research goal, or does not contribute to generalizable knowledge.
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) oversees all animal care and use activities conducted by UM faculty, staff, students, visitors, and affiliates—including those at UM Western and 猎奇重口 Tech. The IACUC has the authority to suspend any animal use activity that is not in compliance with federal regulations (such as the Animal Welfare Act or the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals), deviates from the approved protocol, or is conducted without IACUC approval. Any suspensions will be promptly reported to the appropriate funding and regulatory agencies.
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The IACUC requires submission of a Wildlife Animal Use Protocol for any study involving wild animals in their natural habitat if the procedures may cause harm or significantly alter the animals’ behavior. This includes activities such as trapping, capturing, physically or chemically restraining animals, and performing invasive procedures that may cause stress—such as temporarily removing animals from nests or habitats.
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If your field study is purely observational and does not involve capture, handling, or invasive procedures, you must still submit an Observational Wildlife Animal Use Protocol for IACUC review. These types of studies must not involve any activity that harms or disrupts the animals' normal behavior.
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猎奇重口 faculty may use animal tissues obtained from other investigators with an approved Animal Use Protocol (AUP), or collect naturally shed materials such as hair, feathers, antlers, or feces. To qualify for use, these samples must not come from animals that were manipulated, altered, or euthanized specifically for your research.
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Privately owned animals used in research, teaching, clinical trials, or exhibitions are subject to the same IACUC review requirements as institution-owned animals. This includes compliance with both the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy and the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which apply to all live vertebrate animals regardless of ownership.
Before beginning any activity involving a privately owned animal, you must submit an IACUC protocol for approval and obtain informed consent from the animal’s owner.
If you plan to use privately owned animals, please contact the IACUC Office and complete the appropriate .
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Antibodies are considered customized if produced using antigen(s) provided by the investigator or at the request of the investigator (i.e. not purchased as a pre-made catalog item off-the-shelf). Procurement of custom antibodies requires IACUC oversight, please complete the....
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Still Unsure?
If you are unsure if any of your activities or research require IACUC approval, please contact the IACUC Office at IACUC@mso.umt.edu to help guide you to a determination as to whether IACUC approval is required.