AAALAC 2023 Preparations Start Here: Updated Self-Guided Evaluation Form

The University of Michigan’s next re-accreditation visit by AAALAC, International (AAALAC) will take place in Summer (i.e., June – July 2023).

As we work toward the collective goal of full continued accreditation – demonstrating that U-M values and upholds the highest animal welfare standards in the conduct of responsible research – we ask that all members of the U-M animal care and use community actively participate in preparations leading up to this important visit.

One of the most common areas for incidences of non-compliance is the conduct of animal activities that are inconsistent with either the protocol(s) approved by the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) and/or programmatic policies, guidelines, and procedures that govern the responsible use of animals in research.

To help mitigate the risk of protocol non-compliance and ensure that all individuals whose work involves animals are knowledgeable of the animal activities described in their IACUC approved protocol, our Program has developed a Self-Guided Evaluation of Animal Activities & Protocol Content Form. 

Updated in November 2022 with feedback from the U-M research community, the form contains an easy-to-follow methodology for performing a self-guided evaluation of your lab’s protocol content, including the details of all animal activities.

To effectively conduct this evaluation and get an early start on your AAALAC 2023 preparations, complete the following steps:

• Schedule a meeting with laboratory personnel to discuss current animal and laboratory procedures, including any laboratory SOPs, notebooks, or experimental instructions staff are using; and
• Review all protocol-specific procedures that each lab member conducts with animals (e.g., sampling time points, anesthesia and analgesia agents used, dosages, route of injection, pre- and post- operative procedures, methods of euthanasia) to ensure congruence with your IACUC approved protocol(s)

As you work through your evaluation, keep the following in mind:

• If any unapproved procedure(s) are being performed, a protocol amendment must be submitted immediately AND the procedure(s) must cease until approval has been obtained.
• For assistance with completing protocol amendments, contact a Research Compliance Associate in the Animal Care & Use Office at ACUO-RCAs@umich.edu.
• If you have questions about modifying your experimental/animal care plan(s) (e.g., altering anesthesia or anesthesia, dosing methodologies, blood draw locations, surgical techniques) consult with your ULAM Faculty Veterinarian to discuss appropriate alternatives.
• You may discover that your protocol still includes personnel who no longer work in your lab. To help prevent issues that may arise with personnel training non-compliance, remove exited personnel from your active protocols and consider running a protocol training report on a regular basis.
  • Step-by-step instructions can be found in the Quick Reference Sheet: How to Run Training Reports in eRAM  (available via PDF download).

Need Additional Assistance?

Need help working through a lab-specific problem discovered during your self-guided evaluation? Contact the Quality Assurance (QA) Team at ACU-QATeam@med.umich.edu to discuss your findings, troubleshoot any issues, and explore possible solutions.

Increased communication and updates about the AAALAC 2023 Site Visit – including additional ways to get involved in preparations – will begin early next year.

We thank you in advance for prioritizing these communications and for making a commitment to continually refine your processes in support of, and in service to, the animals entrusted to our care.

  Links marked with a lock icon can only be accessed using valid Level-1 U-M login credentials.