Download the doc version here

Purpose

Investigators and other personnel shall be appropriately qualified and experienced in conducting procedures on living animals. The Agricultural Animal Care and Use Committee (AACUC) requires that all personnel handling animals, conducting research, teaching, or testing that involves handling, manipulation, or performing procedures on agricultural animals, complete minimum training requirements. Proficiency in techniques must be demonstrated prior to performing unsupervised.

Scope

This document applies to all persons providing animal husbandry, working with laboratory animals, MSU affiliated field personnel, or directly responsible for the conduct of animal research.

Process

  1. Personnel performing routine animal husbandry are not required to be added to a protocol. Personnel performing technical procedures are required to be added to a protocol before working under the protocol. CITI training and Occupational Health and Safety clearance as listed below (A.1. and A.2) must be completed to secure protocol approval.
    1. CITI Courses
      1. CITI modules and learning curricula are assigned based on roles by filling out a course enrollment questionnaire. To be taken once.
        1. Principal Investigators
        2. Investigators, Staff and Students Curricula
        3. Species specific training in CITI
        4. Occupational Health Orientation- Research with Animals
      2. Working with the IACUC/AACUC Refresher- to be taken every 3 years following completion of a. above.
    2. Occupational Health and Safety Clearance
      1. Completion of Risk Assessment
      2. Medical History/Animal Allergy
      3. Annually: Annual Medical Surveillance: Noncompliance with this annual requirement will result in removal from protocol.

        Onlline Courses and completion of the Risk Assessmen form bay be completed in any order.

  2. Once the AACUC protocol has been approved, animal facility orientation (as applicable) and animal handling/procedure training must be completed before working on an experimental protocol.
    1. Facility Orientation
    2. Animal handling as applicable
    3. All personnel must display proficiency in the specific procedures they will be performing on animals as described in each AACUC protocol. There are many training opportunities available for research personnel. For example:
      1. Hands-on training by the PI or other laboratory members already proficient in a specific procedure.
      2. Hands-on training by facility personnel.
    4. The PI is ultimately responsible to ensure that research personnel is proficient in procedures. Protocol specific procedure training and assessment must be documented and maintained by the PI/research personnel.
      1. Appropriate training signature forms and records must be maintained with the PI. 

AACUC Approval Date:  06/09/2022

Review Date:  06/09/2022

Issue Date:  06/24/2022