Animal Subjects

Principles for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Teaching

The development of knowledge necessary for the improvement of the health and well-being of humans as well as other animals may require in vivo experimentation with a wide variety of animal species. The Director of Sponsored Research, in consultation with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), shall ensure that the following principles for vertebrate animals are adhered to:

  1. The transportation, care, and use of animals should be in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et. seq.), other Federal laws and policies*, and regulations of the New York State Department of Health.
  2. Procedures involving animals should be designed and performed with due consideration of their relevance to human or animal health, the advancement of knowledge, or the good of society.
  3. The animals selected for the procedure should be of an appropriate species and quality and the minimum number required to obtain valid results. Methods such as mathematical models, computer simulation, and in vitro biological systems should be considered.
  4. Proper use of animals, including the avoidance or minimization of discomfort, distress, and pain when consistent with sound scientific practices, is imperative. Unless the contrary is established, investigators should consider that procedures that cause pain or distress in human beings may cause pain and distress in other animals.
  5. Procedures with animals that may cause more than momentary or slight pain should be performed with appropriate sedation, analgesia, or anesthesia. Surgical or other painful procedures should not be performed on unanesthetized animals paralyzed by chemical agents.
  6. Animals that would otherwise suffer severe or chronic pain or distress that cannot be relieved should be painlessly killed at the end of the procedure or, if appropriate, during the procedure.
  7. The living conditions of animals should be appropriate for their species and contribute to their health and comfort. Normally the housing, feeding, and care must be directed by a veterinarian or other scientist trained and experienced in the proper care, handling, and use of the species being maintained. The College retains a veterinarian for consultation when necessary.
  8. Investigators and other personnel should be appropriately qualified and experienced for conducting procedures on living animals. Adequate arrangements should be made for their in-service training, including the proper and humane care and use of laboratory animals.
  9. Where exceptions are required in relation to the provisions of these Principles, the decisions should not rest with the investigators directly concerned but should be made, with due regard to Principle 2, by the Institutional Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Such exceptions should not be made solely for the purposes of teaching or demonstration.

* For guidance throughout these Principles, please refer to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals prepared by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Academy of Sciences.

A complete statement of the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals is available from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).

SUNY Geneseo Animal Welfare Assurance D16-00847 (A4636-01)

SUNY Geneseo's approved Animal Welfare Assurance is on file with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare. The Assurance. which expires on December 31, 2022, provides documentation that our institution will comply with  the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

At SUNY Geneseo all use of animals for testing, research, and teaching must be approved by the institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC)

Completed applications should be submitted to Anne Baldwin in the Office of Sponsored Research, Erwin 221.

SUNY Geneseo students, faculty, and staff will have appropriate animal care and use, and safety and occupational health training before beginning research or educational projects that involve animals

Note: Students must complete the Student Training Certification Form  Word version (docx) prior to beginning work.

Please go to the TRAINING AND OTHER RESOURCES page to learn more about required training.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC):

Other Information: