Animal Care and Use Committees

The University Animal Policy and Welfare Committee (UAPWC) has established several Animal Care and Use Committees (ACUCs) in order to ensure institutional standards for animal care and use meet or exceed CCAC guidelines. ACUCs operate according to the Animal Ethics Policy and Procedures and use the Alberta Research Information Services (ARISE) system. NORMALLY, UNIVERSITY FACULTY MEMBERS MUST OBTAIN APPROVAL FROM ONE OF THE UNIVERSITY ACUCs.

ACUC Biosciences reviews research associated with the facilities of the Sciences Animal Support Services (SASS). These research or teaching protocols are related to biological sciences and psychology, but also include basic biomedical studies, wildlife and field studies, and aquatics.

ACUC Livestock reviews research and teaching associated with the facilities of the Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Sciences Animal Service (AFNSAS). This commonly includes studies using farm production animals, small animal models for biomedical research, and related to human nutrition research.

There are two ACUC Health Sciences committees, both of which review research or teaching associated with the facilities of the Health Sciences Laboratory Animal Services (HSLAS). ACUC: Health Sciences 1 generally reviews less invasive health sciences and biomedical studies assigned to the CCAC Category of Invasiveness B. ACUC: Health Sciences 2 generally reviews more invasive studies (i.e., those with a CCAC Category of Invasiveness C-E).

In general, studies involving animal use should be reviewed by the ACUC with the most relevant expertise and most closely connected to the Animal Services Unit that will provide veterinary oversight. In cases of overlapping expertise, the ACUCs can and do refer applications to one another and consult with other committee members and/or animal services personnel. The final decision as to which committee reviews a study will be made by the ACUCs.

 

ACUC	Description	Research Methods/Key Words
Biosciences	Reviews animal use applications supported by the expertise and facilities of the Sciences Animal Support Services (SASS).	Xenopus, fish, birds, rodents, rabbits Wildlife and field studies Aquatics Basic biomedical studies Psychology
Livestock	Reviews animal use applications supported by the facilities and expertise of the Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Sciences Animal Service (AFNSAS).	Swine, poultry and ruminants Farm production animals/ livestock Human nutrition research
Health Sciences	The two Health Sciences Committees review animal use protocols supported by the facilities and expertise of the Health Sciences Laboratory Animal Services (HSLAS).
	Health Sciences 1	Laboratory animals, primarily rodents Generally reviews studies with a CCAC Category of Invasiveness B Acute non-recovery studies Studies with new transgenic animals that would otherwise be considered Category B Invasiveness Health sciences Biomedical studies
	Health Sciences 2	Laboratory animals, primarily rodents and larger mammals Generally reviews studies with a CCAC Category of Invasiveness C-E Invasive recovery surgical studies Studies with multiple invasive procedures