Collaborative research describes animal use at or in conjunction with other institutions, which can be academic, businesses, industrial, zoos, and others. Research may involve more than one institution and be within the responsibility of more than one Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
IACUC oversight is required for any of these situations:
- UC Santa Cruz people or facilities are engaged in IACUC-covered research, regardless of funding source.
- There are contracts with a contract research organization (CRO).
- Tissues (cells, blood, organs, etc.) and/or antibodies will be ordered and obtained from a vendor. Tissue sources can be either human or non-human animal derived. Review and approval by the IBC (Institutional Biosafety Committee) is usually required.
- Live animals are transferred to, from, and both ways between UC Santa Cruz and other research institutions.
Learn more about collaborative research agreements.
As a member of the UC Santa Cruz community, you are obligated to adhere to the policies and procedures established by our IACUC, regardless of where your research will take place – on any of the UC Santa Cruz campuses, in collaboration with other research institutions, in other parts of the world. If you are a UC Santa Cruz affiliate planning to conduct collaborative research studies involving any aspect of animal use, it is likely you will be required to complete and submit a UC Santa Cruz IACUC protocol application form for review and approval by the IACUC.
If you are planning collaborative research, contact the UC Santa Cruz IACUC office for more guidance.
IACUC collaborative processes
Engagement in collaborative animal activities and interdisciplinary projects between UC Santa Cruz and other institutions is common. Many circumstances involve partnerships between collaborating institutions or relationships between institutional animal care programs.
Examples include:
- Research projects
- Sample (e.g., tissues) exchanges
- Animal transfer and holding during disasters and to utilize specialized equipment
- Permits (e.g., state, federal, and international wildlife) to authorize animal research
“In these situations, it is important that the division of responsibilities is clear and that all involved parties share a common understanding.” (citation link)
It’s essential to have the collaborations identified and summarized in the IACUC protocol because of the compliance expectations and relationships with other stakeholders. These include:
- the UC Santa Cruz AAALAC accreditation status
- NIH/OLAW
- Public Health Service
- USDA
- UC Santa Cruz Office of Sponsored Programs
- international entities
- private grants
- US Fish and Game
- NOAA
- NMFS
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- zoos and animal parks
- MTAs
- EH&S
- risk management
Collaboration components:
- Records of the collaborations need to be kept and updated within the approved protocol (executed through amendments and the annual protocol update).
- MTAs are processed by OSP with IACUC confirmation.
- Permits are issued by multiple agencies (international, federal, state, and local). Each has its own requirements.
- Whether funded or not, the collaborations need to be documented.
- Assurance is needed of clear lines of animal ownership, animal care, accountability, authority, and communication.
- Animal welfare is part of the collaboration process and will be considered by the IACUC.
- A Letter of Authorization is issued by agencies such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA.
Conducting animal research at a foreign institution
Inter-institutional collaborations have the potential to create ambiguities. Therefore, it is imperative that the institutions define their respective responsibilities. Institutions should have a formal written understanding (e.g., MOU) that addresses responsibilities for animal care and use, ownership, and IACUC (or local equivalent oversight body) review and oversight (Guide page 15). Permits are often required for field studies.
Guidelines for doing research at a foreign institution:
- If there are no grant funds coming from or through UC Santa Cruz, and the animals are not owned by UC Santa Cruz, and UC Santa Cruz personnel are not directing the animal portion of the research, there may not be a requirement for UC Santa Cruz IACUC review.
- If the animals are being housed in the foreign institution, they will be the responsibility of the foreign veterinary staff.
If UC Santa Cruz will contract or subcontract with the foreign institution, then:
- The contracted or subcontracted institution would need to have or obtain a Foreign Animal Welfare Assurance with the US Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).
- Following confirmation of the assurance through OLAW at the contracted or subcontracted institution, and the completion of an MOU, the UC Santa Cruz IACUC will defer the review of the protocol activities and oversight of activities occurring at the institution to the institution.
Collaborations during emergencies
Disasters need to be planned for; it’s often too late when the disaster has already happened. The devastating fire in Santa Cruz in 2020 resulted in the transfer of marine mammals to other institutions for their health protection from smoke. Individual investigator arrangements need to be shared with the IACUC, should institutional assistance, coordination, and reporting to authorities be required during the actual emergency.