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Animal Care

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

About IACUC

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is a federally mandated committee that reviews all protocols involving animals to ensure that they are justified by their benefits and minimize any animal pain or suffering that might occur. The use of animal research and teaching is a privilege that comes with both professional and moral obligations.

The IACUC is dedicated to supporting the education and research mission of UHCL while maintaining compliance with Federal and State animal care principles, guidelines, and regulations. This is achieved by the review and approval of all projects in teaching and research involving the use of live vertebrate animals by the IACUC prior to initiation.

In addition, the IACUC also reviews the institutional program for animal use and conducts inspections of all areas where animals are housed and used.

Animal Research Submission Procedure

Complete or Renew Required Training
1. CITI Working with Animals
  CITI Enrollment Instructions (PDF)
  1. All investigators must complete "Working with IACUC" module
  2. Additionally, you must enroll in and complete module(s) based on species
  3. If performing field work, must also complete "Wildlife Research" module
  4. Additional CITI training may be required once your protocol has been reviewed
2. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Training for Animal Care
  OHS Animal Care Training Instructions (PDF)
  1. Required medical surveillance questions can be accessed within the Blackboard training course
  2. Additional training may be required once your protocol has been reviewed
    (i.e., Wilderness First Aid/CPR, Laboratory Safety, DOT/IATA, Biosafety, Chemical Hygiene)
  3. Contact Niki Pearce at PearceN@uhcl.edu for more information regarding OHS training
Review the Instructions for Completing and Submitting IACUC Protocols (PDF)
Submit the IACUC Protocol Form (DOCX) with proof of completed training to FritzJ@uhcl.edu and copy SponsoredPrograms@uhcl.edu

Upcoming Submission Deadlines

September 29, 2023
November 3, 2023
December 1, 2023
January 5, 2024
February 2, 2024
March 1, 2024
March 29, 2024

Full 2023-2024 IACUC Calendar

Animal Welfare Concerns

If you have any concerns, fill out an Animal Incident Report and submit it to the IACUC Chair at FritzJ@uhcl.edu and copy sponsoredprograms@uhcl.edu.
Alternatively, you can file a complaint at the UH System level.