The IACUC Administrator's Guide to Animal Program Management

The IACUC Administrator?s Guide to Animal Program Management supports IACUC administrators who assist with developing, managing, and overseeing a program of animal care and animal use. It provides many options and possibilities for specific operational practices (e.g., how to build a well-functioning IACUC, what a functional protocol template looks like) to satisfy regulatory requirements.

The material provided is a compilation of several years of Best Practices (BP) meetings among IACUC administrators across the country. The BP meetings included representatives from the NIH/OLAW, AAALAC, and the USDA, whose presence and dialogue assured the BP discussion met or exceeded all regulatory or accreditation minimum standards. BP meeting attendees from private, public, governmental, and academic organizations have helped to shape and develop the information offered herein. It is through the insight of several hundred colleagues?their successes as well as their failures?that the authors have distilled suggestions and considerations for your local animal care and use program.

This handbook complements other useful references and manuals regarding programmatic function?it is not intended to replace them. The primary difference you will find is the transparent and open nature of describing processes that have been time tested and proven to help you and your organization satisfy the regulatory requirements.

An Introduction to Best Practices Meetings. The IACUC Administrator’s Office Structure. The IACUC Administrator’s Role and Responsibilities. The Animal Care and Use Program. Protocol Review and Approval. Protocol Noncompliance. Protocol and Grant Congruency. Animal Care and Use Program Review. Semiannual Facility Inspection. Monitoring the Animal Care and Use Program. Facilitating Communication. Field Studies. Personnel Qualifications and Training Programs. Tracking Animal Use on Protocols. Veterinary Care Programs. Whistle-Blower Policy. Occupational Health and Safety Program. Emergency Disaster Plans. The Role of a Primary Grantee. FOIA, Sunshine Laws, and Confidential Information. DOD and VA Regulations—Know the Differences. Data Management and Electronic Systems. Policies, Guidelines, and Standard Operating Procedures. Appendices.

William G. Greer received his BS degree in microbiology and is currently earning an MS degree in adult education from The Pennsylvania State University, where he serves as associate director in the Office for Research Protections. He is a certified IACUC professional administrator, laboratory animal technician, and hazardous materials shipping professional. He established the IACUC Administrators Best Practices Meetings and led the team that formalized the IACUC Administrator Association (IAA). He also established the Committee on Institutional Cooperation IACUC Administrators’ working group (Big Ten Universities). In 2011, Bill was awarded the Penn State Vice President for Research Outstanding Leadership Award.

Ron E. Banks earned his veterinary degree from Auburn University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. He served 34 years in the United States Army Veterinary Corps and is currently the director of the Office of Animal Welfare Assurance at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. He is a Fellow of the National Academies of Practice, and board-certified with the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and the American College of Animal Welfare. Along with Bill Greer, he has facilitated Best Practices meetings since its inception in 2005 and continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the IACUC Administrators Association.