Training for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Members

Date Adopted: September 7, 2005

Last Review Date: September 26, 2017

I. Policy

Federal law requires that the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) make recommendations to the Institutional Official (IO) for development and administration of animal care and use training programs for all personnel involved in the use of animals in teaching or research. The members of the IACUC require training in order to understand and properly conduct IACUC responsibilities and functions. It is the policy of the University of Montana IACUC to provide and document a comprehensive training program for all committee members.

II. Procedure

A. Administrative Responsibility

1. It is the responsibility of the IACUC coordinator to:

a. Procure reference materials,

b. Schedule facility tours,

c. Maintain records of committee member training,

d. Notify the IACUC members of available conferences,

e. Schedule 10-minute training modules for IACUC meetings in consultation with
the chair and the attending veterinarian (AV),

f. Provide instructions for use of the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative
(CITI) online training web site,

g. provide occupational health and safety materials, including a summary of
hazards and instructions for participation in the program, and

h. Schedule review of the IACUC web site home page tutorial for all new
members with the Chair, the AV, or the IACUC Coordinator.

2. It is the responsibility of the Facility Manager. or an employee of Laboratory
Animal Resources (LAR) designated by the Facility Manager, to provide tours of
LAR facilities.

B. Documentation of Training

1. The IACUC Coordinator will maintain individual files for all IACUC members that
will include

a. Training received by IACUC members

b. Training provided by IACUC members to other committee members or to
animal users, and

c. Service on other related committees, such as the Institutional Biosafety
Committee, the Radiation Safety Committee, and the Institutional Review
Board.

2. IACUC Coordinator will provide all training documents to the IACUC, federal
regulatory personnel, or any other qualified inspector on demand.

C. Training Program

1. New IACUC members should receive the following within 1 month of appointment
to the IACUC

a. References

1) The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

2) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Guidebook

b. Facility tour

c. Review of IACUC web site home page tutorial with the Chair, the AV, or the
IACUC Coordinator

2. All IACUC members

a. 10-minute training modules on specific topics at all IACUC meetings.
Examples include:

1) Regulation review of items relevant to current business
2) Reports of members or guests from recently attended meetings
3) New regulations or “hot topics” in laboratory animal medicine

b. Annual in-service training conducted by the IACUC Coordinator

c. Triennial completion of IACUC module on the CITI training web site.

1) “Essentials for IACUC Members”

d. All IACUC members will be offered the opportunity to attend one IACUC 101
meeting

3. IACUC Coordinator

a. Same training and documentation as IACUC members

b. First year of employment may include at least two (2) conferences such as:

1) “Essentials of IACUC Administration” sponsored by Public Responsibility
in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R)

2) Animal Welfare Information Center and National Agricultural Library
data base training

c. Encouraged to complete "Certification Examination for Professional IACUC
Administrators" sponsored by the Council for Certified Professional IACUC
Administrators an affiliate of PRIM&R