|
Florida
State University is required, under the Animal Welfare Act and
the Public Health Service Policy, to provide training for all
personnel working with animals in research. The FSU ACUC has established
minimum requirements that ALL individuals (faculty, staff and
students) must complete prior to beginning any animal work at
FSU. This includes faculty principal investigators who do not
themselves work directly with animals because they have the ultimate
responsibility for the personnel listed on their animal use protocols.
Prior to beginning any work with animals, individuals are required
to be listed on an approved ACUC animal use protocol, be enrolled
in the FSU Medical Monitoring Program for Vertebrate Animal Exposure
and to have undergone ACUC mandated training. Submitted protocols
or significant changes with personnel who have not completed all
mandated training at the time of the ACUC meeting will be placed
into a Requires Modifications category. The ACUC will not grant
final approval to a protocol or significant change until all training
has been completed or an exemption approved
The
training encompasses several broad areas related to animal research:
-
ensure that individuals who use or provide care for animals
are familiar with regulations and guidelines governing the
use of animals in teaching and research;
-
ensure that individuals who use or provide care for animals
are trained and qualified in the appropriate species-specific
housing methods, husbandry procedures, and handling techniques;
-
ensure that research staff members performing experimental
manipulation, including anesthesia and surgery, are qualified
through training or experience to accomplish such procedures
humanely and in a scientifically acceptable fashion;
-
provide
training or instruction in research and testing methods that
minimize the number of animals required to obtain valid results
and minimize animal distress;
provide training or instruction in research and testing methods
that minimize animal distress;
-
ensure
that professional staff whose work involves hazardous biological,
chemical, or physical agents have training or experience to
assess potential dangers and select and oversee the implementation
of appropriate safeguards;
-
ensure
that individuals are familiarized with methods that search
for alternatives
The
ACUC recognizes that a limited group of individuals may request
exemption from the mandated training requirements. Those that
fall into this category include the following:
Visiting Faculty: Visiting faculty represent a unique
group requiring special consideration in light of the short
period of time they are generally present on campus. The FSU
ACUC acknowledges that these individuals possess equivalent
training or animal research experiences such that repeat training
would be burdensome. In light of this fact, an exemption for
training for visiting faculty is as follows: All visiting faculty
experienced in the field of animal research conducting animal
research at FSU will be exempt from completing FSU ACUC mandated
training if they are present for a period of ninety (90) or
fewer days (within one calendar year). Visiting faculty present
for more than ninety (90) days (within a calendar year) will
be required to undergo the mandated training. All animal research
performed by visiting faculty must be done under the supervision
of an appropriately trained FSU faculty member and under an
FSU ACUC approved protocol. It will be the principal investigator’s
responsibility to notify the ACUC secretary of any visiting
faculty that will be on campus.
DIS and Honors Students: Are encouraged to undergo the
mandated training. While not required to undergo extensive formal
training as they are to be under direct supervision of the principle
investigator or PI’s staff at all times, are recommended
to become familiar with the regulations and issues governing
animal research. In order to facilitate this, LAR offers one-on-one
instruction with a tour of the Biomedical Research Facility.
The lecture / tour should take approximately 1 hour and can
be arranged by contacting the Associate Director at 644-0623
or the ACUC Secretary at 644-4262.
Incoming
Faculty: The FSU ACUC recognizes that newly hired Faculty
represent a second unique group with regard to training in that
many have undergone training at one or more previous institutions.
These individuals may request waiver of the mandated FSU ACUC
training requirements when submitting a protocol. The request
must be accompanied by documentation of similar comprehensive
training from one or more previous institutions. Such documentation
should include a listing of all training the individual has
completed with enough detail for the ACUC to compare to current
requirements. Examples of documentation may include a certificate
of completion along with back-up documentation of covered training
or a letter of from the institution delineating the completed
training. The ACUC will evaluate the information to determine
if the previous training is equivalent to or exceeds that currently
required by FSU. The ACUC may accept all, some or none of the
previous training as equivalent. If gaps in training remain
following review, incoming faculty will be required to complete
only those specific modules.
A
manual covering the basics of animal research is supplied to all
individuals by Laboratory Animal Resources at the time of training.
Training should be scheduled through the LAR office (101 Biomedical
Research Facility, 644-4262). Other specialized training opportunities
are available upon request; contact the LAR office at 644-4262.
Exemptions to training requirements may be requested in accordance
with the current ACUC Training Policy.
|
