IACUC Policy #1: Animal Procurement

  1. Procurement of all animals housed in the Animal Care Facility
    1. Procurement of all animals that are to be housed in the Animal Care Facility must be completed by Animal Research Protection Program (ARPP) staff. Obtaining animals from either of the sources below requires ARPP approval via the Procurement Request form, before animals can be purchased or transferred.
      1. Commercial Vendors
        1. Jackson Laboratories
        2. Charles River Laboratories
      2. Other Institutions
  2. Procurement of all animals housed in PI maintained animal facilities
    1. Animals housed in PI maintained facilities that are procured from the sources mentioned above will also need ARPP approval via Procurement Request form, before animals can be purchased or transferred. 
  3. Transfer of animals across research protocols
    1. Procurement request forms are NOT required when animals are transferred between campus research protocols, when there is IACUC approval for this activity. However, the PI is required to send an email notification to ARPP staff (acf-l@mtu.edu) prior to any transfer so that ARPP staff are aware of this activity.
  4. Principal Investigator, IACUC, and ARPP Responsibilities
    1. Investigator Responsibilities:
      1. Research staff complete appropriate sections of the Animal Procurement Request and submit. The form is received directly by ARPP staff. If no other information is required, the order will be placed by ARPP according to the information provided. Following order completion, notification will be sent to the PI. The transferring institution will also be informed, if applicable.
    2. IACUC Responsibilities:
      1. Members of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) must evaluate protocols for the appropriate justification of species and numbers of animals requested, requiring statistical justification, when possible. (Refer to the 8th edition of the Guide, p. 25-26.)
      2. The IACUC will notify Principal Investigators of this Policy, noting their responsibility to request all animals via the approved procurement procedure and to provide numbers that accurately reflect the use of research animals, with all methods of procurement approved.
    3. ARPP Responsibilities:
      1. ARPP staff members will automatically receive the Animal Procurement Request Form, verifying the IACUC approved protocol, adequate numbers of animals, and approved vendors. After verification, ARPP staff will place the order with the commercial vendor or contact the sending institution. PIs will be notified of successful order placement and/or anticipated arrival date.
  5. Exceptions
    1. The Attending Veterinarian or designee may grant exceptions to this policy when it is deemed in the best interest of the animals.
    2. Concerns or issues regarding animal procurement must be reported to and will be reviewed by the IACUC.