Humane Animal Care
Any person who witnesses or suspects abuse of animals in UK research or teaching is encouraged to report their concern to: 1-866-400-9428. No adverse action will be taken against anyone making a report. You are NOT required to give your name.
Continuing Protocol Review
A program of Continuing Protocol Review (CPR) was established by the IACUC to maintain the highest standards of animal care and use in the research programs at the University of Kentucky. This review process is intended to help investigators stay compliant with federal guidelines. Protocols are selected for review based on several criteria including: pain classification, surgical complexity, and prior deficiency reports. A detailed description of the review process is available here.
Online IACUC Protocol Applications
New Principal Investigators should complete and submit the eSirius Account Request Form to set up their online account. When you have your eSirius logon ID and password, click here to go to the Online IACUC Protocol Submission site.
IACUC Inspection Schedule
IACUC Policies, Guidelines, and Procedures
The IACUC has developed policies, guidelines, and procedures to help the researcher and the University to meet the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act. The entire list may be viewed or downloaded here.
September 16, 2009: The IACUC has approved "IACUC Document 114: UK/VA Joint Protocols." This document outlines the requirements for approved animal procedures on a VA protocol to be conducted at UK. The UK/VA Memorandum of Understanding is attached as an appendix to this document.
August 19, 2009: The IACUC has approved "IACUC Document 105: Housing Biomedical Research Animals Outside of DLAR or College of Agriculture Facilities". This document should provide guidelines for situations where laboratory animals cannot be housed in DLAR facilities for whatever reason.
July 15, 2009: The IACUC has discontinued "IACUC Document 101 - Tail Snips" as an IACUC Policy. The veterinary recommendations in "Tissue Collection for Genetic Identification of Rodents" provide information on several methods for collecting tissue for genotyping including tail snipping. There is also "cut and paste" verbiage suitable for inserting into protocol applications with or without modification.
In response to recent AAALAC and USDA inspections, the University’s IACUC has instituted three new policies that will affect all groups with animal use protocols. These policies are meant to help maintain the highest standards of laboratory animal care and use.
The IACUC has codified how protocol deficiencies will be corrected, specifically outlining how investigators will be required to respond when a deficiency in their animal care and use is detected. The details of this policy can be found in IACUC Document 111.
The IACUC has instituted a Continuing Protocol Review (CPR) system that will periodically inspect animal use sites and evaluate how well protocols are being adhered to. This system is meant to augment the IACUC’s semi-annual inspections. Details can be found here.
The IACUC has developed a continuing education (CE) program to improve awareness of animal care and use issues. All personnel listed on a protocol will be required to complete five units of continuing education during a protocol’s three years. A number of classes and training opportunities are available to fulfill this requirement. The details of this policy can be found in IACUC Document 106.