PI Resources for Research and Teaching with Animals

Using animals in research and teaching is both a complex process and a privilege in order to gain knowledge. The IACUC operates in accordance with a number of regulatory, funding, occupational health and safety, accrediting, and animal welfare bodies and partners. Expand the sections below to find links to relevant resources.

Governmental organizations

USDA/APHIS

• USDA Animal Welfare Act and Regulations
• USDA Guidelines for Anesthesia, Analgesia, and Tranquilization
• USDA Training for Using Lab Animals (tutorials and classes)
• USDA Animal Welfare Information Center – Experimental Design

PHS/NIH/OLAW

• PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• Health Research Extension Act of 1985, Animals in Research
• Documents Relevant to the PHS Policy
• The Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8^th Edition
• NIH Vertebrate Animal Section Online Training Module
• NIH All About Grants podcast – Alternatives to Animals

CDC

• CDC Zoonotic Diseases

NOAA

• NOAA/NMFS Marine Mammal Regulations

Non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups

• AAALAC Position Statements
• AAALAC Reference Resources
• American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) Educational Resources
• AnimalResearch.info Animals in research
• AVMA Guidelines for Euthanasia of Animals
• California Biomedical Research Association (CBRA)

Resources specific to wildlife study

General wildlife study resources

• Appropriate standards for wildlife research (Sikes et al., 2012, BioScience)
• CDC/NIOSH
• UC Field Operations Training Manual
• Fundamental differences between wildlife and biomedical research paper (Sikes and Paul, 2013, ILAR Journal)
• National Park Service – Safe Work Practices for Employees Handling Wildlife
• OLAW Webinar—Field Euthanasia Methods for Wildlife – March 29, 2018
• UCSC EH&S zoonotic diseases fact sheets—species specific
• USGS National Wildlife Health Center
• Wildlife Disease Association
• Wildlife Health Australia – National Wildlife Biosecurity Guidelines
• Wildlife Researchers Running the Permit Maze (Paul and Sikes, 2013, ILAR Journal)

Amphibians and reptiles

• Guidelines for the Use of Live Amphibians and Reptiles in Field and Laboratory Research (Herpetological Animal Care and Use Committee of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, 2004)

Relevant publications

• Chytrid decontamination (USFS, 2017) pages 26–27
• Pathogen surveillance in herpetofaunal populations (Gray et al., 2017, Herpetological Review) via Gray’s website
• Toe clipping of amphibians and reptiles (Perry et al., 2011, Journal of Herpetology)

Fishes, marine and freshwater

• Guidelines for the Use of Fishes in Research (American Fisheries Society, 2014)

Relevant publications

• Ten practical realities for institutional animal care and use committees when evaluating protocols dealing with fish in the field (Cooke, et al., 2016, Rev Fish Biol Fisheries)

Marine mammals

• Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists (Sikes and the Animal Care and Use Committee of the American Society of Mammalogists, 2016, Journal of Mammalogy)

Relevant publications

• Best practice guidelines for cetacean tagging (Andrews et al. 2019, J. Cetacean Res. Manage.)
• Best practice recommendations for the use of external telemetry devices on pinnipeds (Horning et al. 2019, Animal Biotelemetry)
• Best practice recommendations for the use of fully implanted telemetry devices in pinnipeds (Horning et al. 2017, Animal Biotelemetry)
• Development of compact system for field euthanasia of small mammals (Ellis, 2017, Journal of Mammalogy)

Terrestrial mammals

• Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists (Sikes and the Animal Care and Use Committee of the American Society of Mammalogists, 2016, Journal of Mammalogy)

Relevant publications

• Updated guidelines for protection of mammologists and wildlife researchers from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS; Kelt et al., 2010, Journal of Mammalogy)

Wild birds

• Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research (The Ornithological Council, Third Edition, 2010; updated references in 2023, called the 4th edition)

Relevant publications

• Comparison of intraosseous pentobarbital administration and thoracic compression for euthanasia of anesthetized sparrows (Passer domesticus) and starlings (Sturnus vulgaris; Murphy et al., 2017, Amer J Vet Res)

IACUC

• ORCA Home
• IACUC Home
• Protocol Process
• IACUC Forms
• Training and Personnel
• Funding
• Guidance and SOPs
• PI Resources
• Collaborative Research
• Animal Welfare Concerns