The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) implements policies and guidelines regarding the use of animals in research, testing, and teaching at Michigan Technological University.
Policies and Procedures
General IACUC Policies and Procedures outline and describe regulatory authorities which governs animal use, administration organizational structure, protocol reviews and procedures, semiannual program reviews, non-compliance investigations, reporting and record keeping requirements, and training requirements for personnel, investigators, and members.
The following Animal Procedure Policies are related to specific animal care and use procedures:
- Animal Procurement
- Euthanasia Criteria for Rodents
- Mouse Breeding Colony Management
- Rat Breeding Colony Management
- Rodent Survival Surgery
- Rodent Transportation - On and Off Campus
- Rodent Cage Card Identification
- Rodent Barbering
- Ulcerative Dermatitis
Certain drugs and other substances are classified as “controlled substances” through
the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. At Michigan Tech, all work done with controlled substances must be on file with
the Research Integrity Office.
Anyone using controlled substances for research must:
- obtain the appropriate licenses,
- use approved purchasing mechanisms,
- submit for review and follow approved security and work practices, and
- only use approved disposal methods for any excess or off-spec substances.
Each researcher working with controlled substances must obtain their own personal license. Michigan Tech does not maintain institutional licenses for controlled substances. Both a federal (Drug Enforcement Administration) and state license must be obtained before ordering or using any controlled substance. See links to the right for a step-by-step guide to applying for a license. The application process is lengthy and can take up to 12 months to complete, so start early. Researchers are personally responsible and legally liable for the storage, use, and management of any controlled substances obtained with their licenses.
Once both licenses have been obtained, copies must be provided to the Research Integrity Office. Controlled substances that are to be used in vertebrate animal research must be used under an approved animal protocol and must be ordered through the Research Integrity Office. Controlled substances for all other uses must have an approved standard operating procedure and must be ordered through University Chemical Stores.
All controlled substance documentation will be reviewed during the license holder’s annual laboratory inspection. This includes use logs, the presence of authorized user questionnaires, and the biannual inventory.
Examples of common controlled substances:
Schedule I: LSD, heroin, marijuana. Requires special licensing; contact Research Integrity
Office before applying.
Schedule II: sodium pentobarbital.
Schedule III: ketamine, buprenorphine, midazolam.
Schedule IV: diazepam, midazolam, clonazepam.
Schedule V: nothing of relevance to animal research.
Please contact the Research Integrity Office at researchintegrity@mtu.edu with any questions.
The following Additional IACUC Policies are for various animal care and use activities:
- Administrative Approvals of Amendments
- Adoption of Laboratory Rabbits
- Controlled Substances, Drugs, and Chemicals in Animal Subjects
- Using Designated Member Review Following Full Committee Review of a Submitted Protocol
- Documentation of Research Staff Training
- Field Study Policy
- Veterinary Verification and Consultation