The Policy on Investigating Noncompliance and Animal Welfare Concerns, which describes the process that the U-M Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) follows when investigating reports and allegations of noncompliance or welfare concerns relating to the care and/or use of vertebrate animals and/or cephalopods, recently underwent a full review.
The policy has been updated to reflect current practices and now includes additional information about the Animal Care & Use Program Compliance Committee, which is responsible for (1) assessing each allegation, (2) collecting information for the inquiry process, and (3) presenting all relevant information to the IACUC.
Please note that there have been no changes to the inquiry or reporting processes.
In an effort to increase programmatic transparency, the following resource documents have been created to better acclimate the U-M research community to the three-step corrective action escalation process pertaining to the investigation, and confirmation of, noncompliance and reported animal welfare concerns:
- Helpful Information Sheet: Policy on Noncompliance – Provides a short summary of the mitigation measures employed by the IACUC when incidents of noncompliance have been confirmed.
- NEW! What You Should Know About Reporting and Investigating Animal Welfare Concerns – this quick reference sheet includes information about the many ways suspected incidents of noncompliance can be reported, how allegations and reports are assessed within the program, details about the inquiry/investigation process, and the myriad protections in place to protect the identity of anyone making an anonymous report.
Ensuring animal welfare and maintaining program compliance is a shared responsibility, and the University depends on everyone to do their part. As such, all individuals involved with animal care and use at the U-M are encouraged to regularly review, and be familiar with, the methods for reporting and investigating animal welfare concerns.
Questions?
Questions or concerns should be directed to the Animal Care & Use Office at [email protected] or (734) 763-8028.
Your attention and diligence in these important matters are greatly appreciated.