UMass Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) reviews all classroom and research projects, whether sponsored or unsponsored to ensure the humane care and use of animals including, but not limited to, the following:
- Classroom exercises and demonstrations that use animals for a short period or animals visiting campus. Use the following form.
- Research by investigators not affiliated with the UMass who propose to involve university personnel and/or funding channeled through UMass Amherst.
Categories of Animal Use
If animal activities involving UMass personnel are conducted at domestic or foreign sites other than UMass Amherst, the IACUC must review that PHS policies are being followed. The IACUC, at its discretion, may:
- Accept the other institution's IACUC approval, especially if the performance institution holds a current Assurance with OLAW or is AAALAC certified.
- Conduct its own review of the protocol from the other institution.
- Conduct its own review of the project submitted on the UMass protocol form.
The UMass IACUC will need to see documentation from the other institution that its institution's IACUC has reviewed and approved the project before giving its final approval. In many cases an Inter-Institutional Agreement (IIA) is completed. This is initiated in the Research Compliance Office. Please see the policy on collaborative work in the IACUC Policies and Guidelines folder.
International collaborations that use animals must be reviewed by the UMass IACUC if the funding for the project flows through this institution. For PHS-funded projects, the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) at NIH requires that the host foreign institution has a "Foreign Assurance" approved by OLAW. A list of foreign institutions with Foreign Assurances and their Assurance numbers can be found on the OLAW website. If the foreign institution does not already have an Assurance it will need to obtain one. The process begins once funding confirmation has been received. For more information call Alison Miller at (413) 545-5204.
Generation of custom antibodies in vertebrate animals is covered by Public Health Service (PHS) Policy. Antibodies are considered custom if produced using antigen(s) provided by or at the request of the PI (e.g., not commercially available). Any organization producing custom antibodies for a UMass PI must have an OLAW Assurance and, if AWA-covered species are to be used, a USDA registration. The PI must provide the date (verification) of project-specific IACUC approval for the production of the antibodies to the UMass IACUC Office. The IACUC Office can advise on obtaining the necessary verification of IACUC approval.