Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

Olds College has the responsibility of ensuring that animals used by the College are used and cared for in a manner that considers the welfare and the well-being of the animals. The Post Approval Monitoring (PAM) process is designed to ensure that all animal-based activities at Olds College, and at Institution(s) that the Olds College IACUC supports, are compliant with IACUC-approved Animal Use Protocol procedures and Standard Operating Procedures.

How is it conducted?

This process is to be both collaborative and collegial with a focus on clear understanding and open communication.     

PAM Procedures

• A decision to conduct a PAM for courses or research projects is risk-dependent and made in discussions with the IACUC.
• PAMs are coordinated by the IACUC Coordinator.
• The PAM involves the Instructor(s) / Principal Investigator(s) and one to two members of the IACUC.
• The Instructor(s)/ PI(s) is notified by a member of the IACUC (usually the Coordinator) of the need to conduct a PAM for a specified AUP.
• A day and time will be arranged to conduct the PAM, during times when procedures with animals will be conducted and can be observed.
• The IACUC member(s) who will be conducting the PAM will receive a copy of the approved AUP, supporting documentation including SOPs and the PAM checklist. 
• The IACUC member(s) will monitor the procedures and complete the PAM checklist.
• Following the PAM visit, the PI and the IACUC member(s) will discuss the findings with the instructor(s)/PI(s) which will allow the IACUC member(s) to seek any additional clarification.
• The IACUC member(s) will complete the PAM checklist and will select one of the following declarations:
  • Compliant 
    
  • Requires Further Assessment 
    
  • Non-compliant 
• For PAMs in which the outcome of the PAM was found to be either “requires further assessment” or “Non-compliant”, follow-up discussions will be held with the Instructor(s)/PI(s) to ensure the necessary changes are made to animal procedure(s) so that they are compliant with the approved Animal Use Protocol. 
• The completed PAM report is sent to the IACUC Coordinator and Chair for review. The outcome of the PAMs will be presented at the next IACUC meeting.

Prior to AUP submission, all courses require an approved Pedagogical Merit Review (PMR), while research projects must receive a Scientific Merit Review (SMR).

1. The Principal Investigator/Instructor drafts the required documents: an Animal Use Protocol (AUP), Amendments (if revising an existing protocol), and an Annual Renewal Form (conducted annually while the course / research project is active).
2. Documents are submitted to the IACUC Coordinator aligning with the submission deadlines to ensure timely review.
3. Documents are first reviewed by the IACUC Coordinator and Administrator. During this stage, the Coordinator may reach out with clarifying questions to ensure all information is complete.
4. Once finalized, completed documents are distributed to all IACUC members for detailed review prior to the monthly meeting.
5. During the meeting, the committee discusses the documents and unanimously decides if the AUP is approved, conditionally approved or not-approved
6. If the AUP is approved, a letter of approval is issued, which is valid for one year.
7. If the AUP receives conditional approval, a formal conditional approval letter outlining the necessary clarifications will be issued. Animal use may begin while clarification questions are being responded to. Once the documentation is in order, a formal letter of approval is issued.
8. If an AUP is not approved, the Instructor or Principal Investigator (PI) will receive a formal non-approval letter outlining required changes, requests for clarification and deadlines. Once revisions to the AUP are received by the Coordinator, the AUP must be reviewed and discussed by the IACUC in an upcoming meeting to receive full approval before acquisition and animal use.

How to keep your Animal Use Protocol active

To remain compliant, all AUPs must remain active through the following process:

• Annual Renewals: An annual renewal document must be submitted for review by the IACUC prior to the annually-approved end date. 
• Full Renewal: A complete full revision  of the AUP is required to be submitted every four years, which will then be reviewed by the IACUC prior to the approved end date.

All students and staff who work with animals must complete the Institutional Animal User Training Program (IAUTP) Moodle Course (Part I), before participating in hands-on animal work.

Under CCAC policy, any use of animals including for teaching, research, or programming must be reviewed and approved by an animal care committee before animals are obtained or used. 

If your project involves mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish or cephalopods, follow the questions below to determine if your course or research project requires the submission of an Animal Use Protocol. If you answer yes to any of the questions below, then IACUC approval is required.

1. Does your course/ research project involve any of the following activities?
   • Field studies involving animals
   • Teaching labs or demonstrations that involve animals
   • Animals used to teach handling, husbandry, or sampling concepts
   • Any testing (regulatory, biomedical, behavioral, environmental, etc.)

2. Will the project involve any intervention or interaction with animals, such as listed below?
   • Handling, capturing, restraining, tagging, or marking
   • Housing or holding animals in any facility
   • Conducting behavioral tests or exposures
   • Taking biological samples
   • Any procedure that could cause pain, stress or harm
   • Any activity that alters the animals’ environment or behavior
   • Euthanasia associated with research or teaching

3. Are you using animals supplied by or housed at Olds College? Are animals brought onto campus for teaching or research? Are animals housed and cared for at the College, even temporarily?

4. For research project(s), is the study intended for external funding, thesis work or publication?

CCAC and Canadian funding agencies, such as CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, require animal care approval before any funded project involving animals begins.

Exceptions

Certain activities involving animals may qualify for exemption from an animal use protocol, such as observation-only Category A protocols. Category A studies include, but are not limited to:

• Animals that will only be observed in formal teaching, research or demonstration and that are not being held captive for these purposes. This includes the use of eggs, embryos, fetuses and larvae in research, teaching or testing – however only those that have not reached a stage where survival can reasonably be expected.
• Cadavers of animals not euthanized specifically for the teaching or research in question, including use of animals harvested in the course of established industry or commercial practices, and animal tissues shared from other approved protocols.

In these cases, a Category A form must be submitted. Please contact the IACUC Coordinator to obtain more information.

If your course or research project requires the use of animals, you must submit an Animal Use Protocol (AUP) form to the Animal Care Committee.

Important Considerations

• We recommend submitting your completed AUP/ Annual Renewal form to the IACUC Coordinator at least three months before your intended start date.
• Approval must be granted BEFORE any animals are acquired or used.

Please refer to our Submission Deadlines below to ensure timely review.

• Reach out to the IACUC Coordinator to have a discussion about the course or research project and to seek guidance on the completion of the documentation, considering the submission deadlines.
• Download the Animal Use Protocol form or the Annual Renewal Form from the Forms Section 
• Completely fill out the Animal Use Protocol form or the Annual Renewal Form. We recommend that you populate all fields in the form with sufficient detail for the IACUC committee  to be able to fully understand your course or research project.
• Attach SOPs and supporting documentation for all of the proposed procedures
• Submit the documents to the IACUC Coordinator by email

To maintain an active status, all AUPs must undergo an annual renewal process for the first three years. In the fourth year, the protocol must undergo a full renewal to remain compliant.

• The IACUC Coordinator will contact the Instructor(s)/Principal Investigators (PIs) regarding upcoming Annual Renewals to provide guidance on the necessary next steps
• Completely fill out the Annual Renewal Form. We recommend that you populate all fields within the form with sufficient detail to allow IACUC members to understand your course or research project.
• Review the previously approved AUP and make updates within the main document, as needed
• Attach updated SOPs and supporting documentation for the procedures mentioned in the AUP
• Submit the documents to the IACUC Coordinator by email

If your project or course parameters change after receiving approval, including changes in procedures, personnel, animal number or species, you must request an Amendment before implementing those changes.

• Contact the IACUC Coordinator to discuss the proposed changes and obtain guidance
• Download the Amendment Form from our Forms Section.  
• Determine Amendment Type: The form will guide you in determining if your change is a:
  • Minor Amendment: Administrative or slight procedural changes.
  • Major Amendment: Significant changes to animal numbers, species, Instructor(s)/PIs, or procedures. In these cases, significant scope will require a new Animal Use Protocol submission.
• Submit the documents to the IACUC Coordinator