Undergraduate Bulletin

Use of Laboratory Animals in Research or Instruction

Any research, teaching, or creative activity that involves the use of vertebrate animals must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to ordering animals and prior to commencement of the activity. Applications for such approval may be obtained from the director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR) or from the Univer­sity coordinator for research compliance. The chairs, deans, and division heads of departments in which laboratory animals are routinely used also have a supply of these applications.

The following is a brief summary of the federal, state, and campus regulations that govern the use of laboratory animals at Stony Brook:

1. Except as stated in provision 2, all vertebrate animals must be ordered through DLAR. If a University purchase order is unacceptable to the supplier, the DLAR must be so informed in order to determine whether another supplier may be contacted.

2. The IACUC may waive the requirement of mandatory acquisition of animals through DLAR in cases where the activity involves fieldwork. Such a waiver is granted when the detailed methods of observation, capture, or tagging of vertebrate animals are determined by the IACUC to be in compliance with applicable regulations governing such work.

3. Use of privately owned animals is prohibited.

4. Users of vertebrate animals must adhere to policies set forth in the N.I.H. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (available from all chairs, deans, and division heads).

5. In the event that the animals must be euthanized, the method of euthanasia must conform to those in the 1986 report of the A.V.M.A. Panel on Euthanasia, or subsequent revisions (available from all chairs, deans, and division heads). Methods of euthanasia for species not covered by this report must be employed as per IACUC recommendation.

6. All individuals involved in research or teaching activities in which animals are used must attend the training session given by the director of the DLAR in order to satisfy requirements indicated in Stony Brook’s assurance filed with the NIH.

7. IACUC approval is required in cases where members of the University propose to engage in collaborative work that involves the use of animals in facilities other than those under the auspices of Stony Brook University.