Guidance on Activities Requiring IACUC Approval
According to policy set by the NC State Board of Trustees, “All research projects and educational or extension activities using vertebrate animals under the jurisdiction or control of NC State shall be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.”
Animal Use Activities that Require IACUC Approval
- Activities using animals owned by NC State
- Activities in which an employee of NC State assumes responsibility for a non-NC State-owned animal in a teaching or research capacity
- Clinical trials involving non-NC State-owned animals
- Activities using wild animals for teaching or research, when animals are manipulated in any way
Animal Use Activities That Do Not Require IACUC approval
Although IACUC review and approval are not required for the activities described below, the committee is willing to conduct standard review when it is required by funding agencies or publishers.
- Activities in which the animal is under the control of the owner or an owner-designated handler (except in the case of clinical trials – see above)
- Activities in which a veterinarian is providing routine clinical services to a privately owned animal/herd/farm or to wild animals (including clinical services that provide education and training to DVM professional students at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, or clinical field services)
- Field studies, as defined in Animal Welfare Act regulations (“…any study conducted on free-living wild animals in their natural habitat, which does not involve an invasive procedure, and which does not harm or materially alter the behavior of the animals under study.”)
- Animals used in non-research activities, such as university owned working animals animals or animals present at the IACUC inspection site, such as barn cats or dogs, for pest control or herd management purposes, must be in apparent good health with no obvious illnesses or parasite infestations. If injured or ill animals must receive timely, appropriate, and documented veterinary treatment/care. Animals must have ready documentation of a preventive health program, as evidenced by current core vaccinations and/or testing records as appropriate. Adequate food and housing for the animals must be available if in residence.
In lieu of IACUC review, we recommend that these activities receive some type of administrative review at the college level for potential legal, liability and public-relations concerns. We are available to provide guidance without formal IACUC review. Please contact the IACUC Office (919.515.7507) or The University Attending Veterinarian (919.513.2365).
Policy updated May 2020