The UConn Health IACUC is committed to the humane care and use of laboratory animals. The IACUC has oversight of all animal-related activities performed at UConn Health. It is the responsibility of the IACUC to ensure that all work performed with research laboratory animals used at UConn Health complies with all applicable federal, state, and institutional laws, policies, and guidelines.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

InfoEd

For information on the InfoEd implementation for animal care and use, please go to the Protocol Page of this website.  For helpful “cheat sheets“, please go to the OVPR IT help page.

New Laboratory Animal Users

If you are new to using laboratory animals, please review our “Top Ten Actions for New Animal Users” page.  This will tell you in detail what you need to know and do in order to use laboratory animals here at UConn Health.

Accessing the Animal Facility

In order to access the animal facility, you need to contact the Center for Comparative Medicine (x2731) and ask them for a facility access request form.  The IACUC office does not grant facility access.  Before you can actually access the animal facility, the following actions must be completed:

1. You must be listed as an animal user on an active animal care and use protocol.
2. You must complete initial animal user training.
3. You must enroll in the Occupational Health Surveillance Program; this is a form that you complete on line.
4. You must complete training on use of expired materials in animals (this is sent to you when you register for training).
5. You must have a “medical clearance for animal use” appointment with a physician or nurse in Employee Health Service.

EuthanEx System

The IACUC is requiring that all euthanasia stations be equipped with the Euthanex® system. Please review the letter from the IACUC Chair regarding this issue. For more information, contact Dr. Chidambaram, Attending Veterinarian.

NIH/OLAW InterInstitutional Assurance (IIA)

If you are not UConn Health employees using UCH animal facilities and the UCH IACUC and are getting awarded an NIH grant (e.g, SBIR grant), you will need a PHS Interinstituional Agreement.  If you are a UConn Health employee but your work is not done in that role (e.g., you have a company and are doing animal work as an employee of the company), this also applies to you.  The PHS IIA is a document negotatied through the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).  You will need to submit the IIA to OLAW.  This document must be downloaded from the OLAW website and section 1 is to be completed by you.  Once you do that, you need to foward the form to the IACUC office and we will get all other required information and signatures for the IIA.  The IACUC office will then send the form back to the PI of record for the NIH grant who will then submit the document to OLAW for their review and approval.  The document must be submitted by email to OLAW.  DO NOT submit an IIA until OLAW requests it of you.  If you have questions about this process, please contact the IACUC office.