Prior to receiving approval to use, or obtaining, vertebrate animals in teaching or research, Instructors or Principal Investigators (PIs) are required to provide a full description of their proposed procedures involving animals in sufficient detail to allow the ACC to adequately assess the ethical considerations relating to animal use. All potential animal users must complete Brock University AUP application form available on SharePoint and from the Animal Care Committee Coordinator. Teaching protocols must be submitted to the Departmental Chair for authorization.  Student applications require the authorization of a supervisor.

The PI should submit the AUP to the Animal Care Committee Coordinator available at [email protected]. All of the new AUPs must be reviewed by the full committee for approval at the next ACC meeting. Upon applicant’s request, applications can be pre-reviewed by the ACC Coordinator, clinical veterinarian and Manager, ACS before being circulated to the rest of the ACC. After review by all members of the ACC during a meeting, the ACC Coordinator on behalf of the Chair will communicate the Committee’s decision and comments to the applicant. The PI can then submit the revised application to ACC Coordinator who will send it to either full ACC or sub-committee depending on the type of revisions requested by ACC in the initial meeting. The sub-committee includes at least one scientific member, one veterinarian and one community representative, and the ACC Chair or designate. There may be multiple cycles of review until the committee is satisfied with the content included in the protocol. The ACC will be informed about the sub-committee approved protocols at the next meeting.

The average processing time to get approval for a new AUP is 6-8 weeks. All AUPs must be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the ACC meeting. Please click here to check the ACC meetings dates.

All changes in animal numbers and in procedures related to animals, made after the initial approval of the AUP, must be reported, in writing, to the ACC by submitting the Amendment form available on SharePoint and from the Animal Care Committee Coordinator. The amendments must be approved before the changes are implemented.

The PI should submit the amendment form to the Animal Care Committee Coordinator available at [email protected]. The ACC Coordinator then reviews the form and determines if the amendment is administrative, minor or major. The following are the definitions of these three categories of amendments:

Administrative Amendment

An administrative amendment involves only administrative components of a protocol. Such amendments include:

• changes in personnel that does not impact competency or supervision,
• changes in contact information,
• change in title,
• change in funding source (provided it does not impact scientific peer review),
• change in supplier of animals (provided it does not impact health status of animals),
• change in location of animal housing or procedures or
• changes to improve the clarity of statements, enhance comprehension or to correct typographical errors, updating to current templates – without altering the content or intent of the statement.

Administrative amendments may be approved by the ACC Coordinator. The ACC is informed of all administrative amendments that have been approved in this fashion at the next scheduled ACC meeting.

Minor Amendment

Minor amendments are normally those which reflect changes that do not significantly influence the welfare of animals. Such amendments include:

• minor changes in procedures within the same (or lesser) category of invasiveness (i.e. activity where the effects on the animals are equivalent or less invasive – such as injection route, blood collection site; drug use within same class, behavioral test),
• change in method of euthanasia,
• change in strain/gender of animal,
• reduction in proposed number of animals or
• increase in animal numbers of up to 20%

Minor amendments may be approved by the sub-committee. The ACC is informed of all minor amendments that have been approved in this fashion at the next scheduled ACC meeting.

Major Amendment

Major amendments are defined as changes that may be considered invasive and may have an impact on animal welfare. Such amendments include:

• change in the lead researcher,
• changes in animal numbers greater than 20%,
• change of species,
• significant change in or more invasive procedure,
• increase in the level of invasiveness.

Major amendments must be approved by the full committee. Major amendments are only approved if strong justification is provided.

The average processing time to get approval for an amendment is 2-4 weeks. However, a major amendment can take about 5-7 weeks for approval.

All AUPs that are approved by the ACC are valid for a period of 1 year and are subject to annual review by the ACC. AUPs may be renewed for a maximum of 3 years, at which point, a new AUP must be submitted. The renewal form includes details like the number of animals used in the preceding year, the number of animals needed for the year to come and a brief progress report. The renewal forms are available to all authorized users on SharePoint and from the Animal Care Committee Coordinator.

The PI should submit the renewal form to the Animal Care Committee Coordinator available at [email protected]. The protocol renewals may be approved by the full ACC or the sub-committee. The ACC is informed about the renewals approved by sub-committee at the next ACC meeting.

The average processing time to get approval for a renewal is 2-4 weeks.

Upon completion of a research study, the PI must submit a study completion report that describes the general results of animal phase of the approved animal protocol. The study completion reports are available to all authorized users on SharePoint and from the ACC Coordinator.

The PI should submit the study completion report to ACC Coordinator available at [email protected]. These reports may be approved by the ACC chair, sub-committee or the full committee in the next ACC meeting. The ACC is informed about any completion reports approved by the Chair or sub-committee at the next meeting.

The average processing time to get approval for a completion report is 2-4 weeks.