To safeguard animal welfare, all personnel working with animals must complete mandatory training BEFORE they can begin their work.
Expectations for Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) required training are outlined in the Policy on the Classification and Expectations of Personnel Involved with Animal Activities and are based upon:
- An individual’s personnel classification (e.g., observer, short-term personnel, long-term personnel, U-M affiliated instructor/demonstrator, or minor), and
- The tasks that an individual will perform as identified by the Principal Investigator (PI) or PI Proxy in the Animal Handling Details of an IACUC approved animal use protocol.
After an individual has been added to the protocol via a personnel amendment in eRAM, training is automatically assigned and notifications are sent via email from Cornerstone Learning. Once all online training is complete the personnel amendment will be approved.
All training workshops must be completed within 60 days of assignment. Failure to complete training within this timeframe will result in the individual or individual(s)* being removed from the animal use protocol. When an individual is removed from a protocol:
- Access to animal room(s) is revoked,
- The individual may no longer work (i.e., handle or perform any procedures) with the animals, and
- The PI or PI Proxy must submit a new amendment to have the personnel re-added to the protocol.
*If more than one individual is included on the personnel amendment, the amendment will only be approved AFTER all individuals have completed their online training.
Without exception, an individual’s access to the animal housing facility is granted/reinstated when the following requirements have been met:
Trainees/New Users
Users previously removed from the protocol for overdue training
- Animal Room Procedures Part 1 and 2 training is completed
- The Animal Care & Use Office has reviewed and approved the protocol amendment
- Participated in a facility tour with the area’s ULAM Husbandry Supervisor
- All outstanding animal care and use training is completed
- The Animal Care & Use Office has reviewed and approved the protocol amendment
Facility tours should be scheduled in advance by contacting the ULAM Husbandry Supervisors Group 
for the assigned animal housing location. Note: Husbandry Supervisors can only request room access after the training requirements outlined above have been completed. Information about the training required for access to certain specialized housing areas (e.g., biocontainment) is available on the Animal Housing Access webpage.
To remain on a protocol and retain access to animal housing rooms, personnel are required to complete IACUC continuing education training at the necessary intervals. A summary of these requirements can be found in the one-page IACUC Training Requirements document.
Questions?
- Questions or concerns about animal care and use training should be directed to the ULAM Training Core at [email protected].
- For guidance or assistance with protocol amendments, contact the Quality Assurance Team in the Animal Care & Use Office at [email protected].
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