Animal research programs at UW-Madison study animals as models of humans and basic biological processes. The resources provided here can support faculty and staff to conduct ethical animal research to improve the health and well-being of animals and humans. The information and links provided are organized into the different groupings for trainings; policies, procedures and compliance; campus resources. At the bottom of the page we have included resources related to animal research that might be useful. More information is available on the SMPH Research Compliance page for Animal Use.
Training
All personnel involved with animals must receive training in the ethical care and use of animals in research as well as in the actual procedures that may be performed on animals during the course of the research. Information and links are provided below for required and additional training to help faculty and staff determine the training they should complete. There are different entities and web spaces on campus to navigate for animal research training. We have tried to include the most important links and information below but this is not an exhaustive list.
Required Training
Some trainings are required for everyone and other trainings are determined by the type of research conducted, animals used, etc. Using this guidance document and training matrix from RARC along with this list of compliance, protocol, and safety related training requirements can help you determine which training/s to complete. RARC also provides a useful getting started section to ensure the most basic requirements are completed.
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RARC Animal Resources and Compliance Training
RARC Animal Resources and Compliance Training
Some courses available at this link are open access and anyone with a netID can take the course. Individuals must be listed as research or teaching staff on an approved protocol to sign up for RARC closed-access courses. If unsure of your status on a protocol contact the principal investigator. If you have training questions or concerns look for the link on the RARC page to contact an RARC trainer. Be aware that some courses have prerequisites. Some of the required trainings include: Animal User Orientation; Species Specific Training; Lab Animal Surgery; and Anesthesia Training Requirements for Non-Survival Surgery.
EH&S Animal Safety Training
EH&S offers several different types of training for Animal Safety. Please review and determine what to complete.
UHS Animal Contact Training
UHS offers various pre- and post-exposure services for faculty, staff, students and affiliates who have contact with animals in research and academic environments. Please review the web page for more information and access to the Animal Contact Risk Questionnaire (ACRQ) and Service Personnel Limited Animal Area Access Form (SPLAAAF).
Safety Training
Chemical Safety: Please refer to the EH&S Office of Chemical Safety if your research will involve chemicals. This UW-Madison Laboratory Safety Manual and this chemical safety resource guide may also be useful.
Radiation Safety: Please refer to the EH&S Office of Radiation Safety if your research will involve radiation or lasers. You may need to complete the Radionuclides in Vertebrate Animals form, or the Handling and Storing Radioactive Materials form. This UW-Madison Radiation Safety Manual may also be useful.
Biological Safety: Please refer to the EH&S Office of Biological Safety if your research includes the use of biological materials. This guide may be useful in determining if you need to declare a Biosafety Protocol. Also review this information about select agents, and dual use research of concern (DURC) to ensure compliance.
Building Safety: See General & Building Safety Training for onsite courses in general health and safety topics. Role, function, and workplace-specific content is also available through division and academic unit courses.
Please complete this fire safety training if your research has the potential risk of fires.
Effort Certification Training
Effort certification is a federal requirement to ensure sponsors are reasonably charged for projects and the commitments of their project will be met. Refer to Effort Reporting and Certification and the SMPH Effort Policy for more information.
(See pages 33-36 for SMPH module not included in RSP office original publication)
Additional Training
These trainings are not required, but may be useful to faculty, staff, or personnel conducting, advising, or involved in animal research. Other optional trainings may be useful for faculty and staff conducting interdisciplinary research. Please review this list of compliance, protocol, and safety related training requirements.
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Cage Wash And Autoclave For Animal Care Staff
Cage Wash And Autoclave For Animal Care Staff
This on-line course emphasizes the general principles of Cage Wash & Autoclave Safety for the animal care staff working in animal facilities that uses a cage washer and autoclave for cleaning and disinfecting animal cages, bedding/waste and other animal related equipment.
RARC Skills Training
RARC contains courses to help individuals within the UW program learn a variety of skills relating to animals and using them in research. RARC skills training has both open and closed access courses which may be held in-person or online. Some available topics include, Medical Records Training, Guidelines for Working with Wildlife, and Perfusion.
Policies, Procedures, and Compliance
At a large research institution such as UW-Madison many layers of required rules, regulations, procedures and policies are applied to protect humans and animals; ensure we are compliant with the rules of our funding sources; and conduct the highest quality research. Below is a collection of links campus committees and systems for faculty and staff who may need to access to conduct animal research at UW-Madison. Faculty and staff may need to access other links or systems as this is not an exhaustive list.
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ACAPAC: All Campus Animal Planning and Advisory Committee
All Campus Animal Planning and Advisory Committee (ACAPAC)
The ACAPAC serves in an advisory capacity to the Institutional Official on matters related to oversight of the ethical and humane use of animals in all university research, teaching, and outreach activities. Among other things, the charge to the committee includes “[contributing] to [the] strategic planning for the animal care and use program”.
Animal Research Protocols
RARC Animal Protocol Information
All animal care and use protocols, regardless of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) oversight, are submitted through the Application for Review of Research Oversight at Wisconsin (ARROW) system. PIs submit new and renewal protocols via ARROW. Protocols are administered by the Research Animal Resources and Compliance IACUC office. RARC staff then assigns the protocol to one of four IACUCs for review based on where the animals are housed. This forms & instructions section provides additional details regarding submitting, amending, and terminating an animal research protocol. Additionally, this collection of self-check guides may help you to maintain compliance.
ARROW: Application Review for Research Oversight at Wisconsin
Application for Review of Research Oversight at Wisconsin (ARROW) is an online system used at the University of Wisconsin–Madison to review and track applications for research oversight. RARC has provided a useful Getting Started with ARROW section to guide you through using the program to submit an animal research protocol.
Campus Policy
Policies to implement regulatory requirements, humane and ethical use of animals, and best veterinary practices are created under the authority of one of three entities: the Institutional Official, the Attending Veterinarian, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs). Animal User Requirements (AURs) are established under the authority of the Attending Veterinarian. A comprehensive list of these policies is maintained by RARC.
In addition to these policies, each IACUC may establish policies to address unique aspects of their animal use program. Learn more about which of these policies may apply to you by navigating to the pertinent IACUC within this page.
IACUC: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Both the federal Animal Welfare Act, and the NIH OLAW PHS Policy on the Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, mandate the existence of an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at every research institution that is registered with the USDA and holds an Assurance from OLAW.
University of Wisconsin-Madison has four IACUCs that oversee the very large and active teaching, research, and outreach programs involving vertebrate animals. IACUC’s are charged with defining and enforcing an institutional Animal Care and Use Program in accordance with USDA, and NIH standards. As per policy 1997-001-io, each IACUC has adopted the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching as a minimum standard. Each IACUC may have additional policies you will need to adhere to and will hold semi annual inspections to ensure compliance.
These are the four IACUCs at UW-Madison:
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) Animal Care and Use Committee
- School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) Animal Care and Use Committee
- School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) Animal Care and Use Committee
- College of Letters and Sciences and Vice Chancellor Office for Research and Graduate Education Centers (LSVC) Animal Care and Use Committee
SMPH Policies, Guidelines and Procedures
SMPH Policies, Guidelines and Procedures
This link provides a collection of policies, guidelines and procedures that are both school-specific and campus or UW system-wide.
Transferring Animals
Policy information is provided for transferring animals within SMPH facilities, between UW-Madison schools, importing and exporting with outside institutions and services.
Transporting Animals
Click the link to find out more about policies regarding transportation of animals. Additionally, more information is available for animal transportation.
Resources
Below is a selection of the many resources available to assist faculty and staff conduct research with animals.
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Animal Health
Explore RARC’s collection of Animal Health resources for help ensuring your animals’ wellbeing. You can use the collection to learn which anesthetics and analgesics to use, find normative species data, and much more.
Animal Cage, Care Systems, Bedding and Accessories Purchasing
Animal Cage, Care Systems, Bedding and Accessories Purchasing
Follow this link to find the federal laws and guidelines and regulations on buildings, enclosures and animal housing that are followed by UW-Madison in regards to animal research.
Biomedical Research Model Services (BRMS)
Biomedical Research Model Services (BRMS)
A wealth of information is available at this site. BRMS was formerly Laboratory Animal Resources, a support program of the School of Medicine and Public Health at UW-Madison. Be sure to investigate the page links in the top right corner of the page.
BRMS Transport Service
Biomedical Research Model Services (BRMS) provides transportation for animals between buildings at UW-Madison, to appropriate receiving areas, at no extra charge to the investigators. See Policies, Procedures, and Compliance section above for more information on transferring and transporting animals.
Directory of Resources for Researchers
Directory of Resources for Researchers
Try using this search tool for campus research resources.
Facilities Access and Animal Ordering
Facilities Access and Animal Ordering
Use this link to find information on access and ordering of animals for the different schools within the UW Madison system.
Fundamentals of Protocol Writing (video)
Fundamentals of Protocol Writing Workshop
This workshop provided a review of the core components of a clinical trial protocol, strategies to engage biostatistical collaboration in creating protocols, and an opportunity to learn about processes in protocol writing in industry. Please also see the slides and virtual handbook.
Presenter(s): Dr. Nasia Safdar & Dr. Bernadette Gillick, ICTR
Materials:
Grant Writing Webinar Series (link)
The WiSys Grant Writing Webinar Series encourages UW System grantseekers to cultivate grant writing skills, connect with WiSys grant writing experts and create new funding opportunities for their work
ICTR Qualitative & Mixed Methods Research Resources (link)
ICTR Qualitative & Mixed Methods Research Resources
The Intro to Qualitative Research for the Applied Health Sciences: A Self-Study Course is a no cost course developed by qualitative research expert, Nora Jacobson. Great for the busy clinician, as it’s self-paced and can do every module or view single modules.
Introduction to Statistics for Everyday Use in Research (video)
Introduction to Statistics for Everyday Use in Research
This course provides general information on “statistics” for everyday use either in the planning of a study or for a manuscript, such as common statistical tests, analysis software, and statistical plans. Topics also include non-statistical factors such as study design, feasibility of recruitment, and sample sizes.
NIH Online Course: Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (IPPCR) (link)
NIH Online Course: Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (IPPCR)
This course will be of interest to physicians, scientists, medical and dental students, nurses, public health professionals, and others conducting or planning a career in clinical research. Free, online. Includes info on health disparities research, D&I research, community-based participatory research, etc. if you do not wish to enroll in the course, you can still view the individual course lectures. This is a good option for individuals who want to focus on part but not all of the course material.
Materials:
RARC Comparative Pathology Laboratory
RARC Comparative Pathology Laboratory
The RARC Comparative Pathology Laboratory is responsible for providing diagnostic services for the research lab animal community at UW-Madison. The laboratory welcomes collaborations with investigators using all species of animals. Click the link for specific services provided.
RARC Services
There are several services provided by RARC which include: Veterinary Care; Pharmacy Services; Breeding Services; Rodent Quarantine Services; Rodent Analgesia Service; Equipment Lending; and Sterilization. Click the link for more information.
UW-Madison Research Policies
This page provides quick access to UW-Madison research compliance, protocol training, and data stewardship policies, including information needed to safely and efficiently close out laboratory activities.