The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Compliance with PHS/OLAW & Animal Welfare Act Regulations:

Use of vertebrate animals in teaching and research is regulated by two federal agencies: the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Bates College does not work with any USDA covered species at this time. The DHHS Public Health Service (PHS) Office of Laboratory Welfare (OLAW) monitors compliance with standards set forth in the PHS policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Bates College has an approved Animal Welfare Assurance on file with OLAW.

What the IACUC does:  

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, composed of faculty & staff members, a veterinarian, and a member of the local community, reviews classroom and research use of vertebrate animals to ensure that the animals involved are handled properly and humanely and in accordance with Public Health Service guidelines, the Animal Welfare Act, and the Animal Welfare Regulations. The committee also conducts routine inspections of the animal colony.

Protocol, Submission, & Approval Process:

To ensure compliance with IACUC guidelines faculty, staff, or students involved with animal or human research at Bates College must have an approved Animal Care and Use Protocol (ACUP) before any animal work begins. 

Please submit all ACUP materials to Jessi Kemp, and allow for at least 1-2 weeks for the IACUC to review and provide feedback on applications. Once approved, ACUPs can remain active for up to 3 years; after this point, a resubmission must be completed. The IAUC meets twice yearly (winter and summer sessions)- please send in a re/submission by February 1st (for the winter session) or July 15th (for the summer session). Research may NOT continue on an ACUP that has expired. The IACUC also reviews ACUPs on a rolling basis, and will do their best to accommodate a quick turnaround process. 

Use the materials below to complete the ACUP submission form, and reach out to Jessi Kemp with any questions. 

Animal Care and Use Proposal Form

Training Requirements:

Faculty/staff members working with vertebrate organisms are required to complete CITI training. Please answer all the prompts to the best of your ability, and complete all the assigned modules. 

Both faculty/staff and students are required to submit occupational health forms. Students may be exempt from enrolling in the occupational health program if they are working in a strictly supervised context, and will not be working with animals unsupervised. If this is the case, students are still required to submit an abridged health form that is retained. Exempt activities are reviewed on a case by case basis. Students are required to attend the Animal Care Module (ACM) and chemical safety training once a year. Students are required to attend in person training for the tasks they are expected to complete (this will be provided by their supervisor), only after completing a health form and attending the ACM. Students that are working on an ACUP must be recorded; their supervisor is required to fill out an Addition of Personnel to an ACUP Form. All responses will be recorded and filed with the appropriate ACUP(s). 

Reach out to Jessi Kemp for information on the occupational health forms and the ACM, and for any general questions regarding training requirements. Reach out to Jonathan Witt for information on chemical safety training.

Committee Roster:
  • Brandy McFadden (affiliate)
  • Ryan Bavis (chair)
  • David Cummiskey
  • Jessi Kemp
  • Olivia Kim
  • Mark Lessard
  • Eric LeFlore
  • James A. Weber, PhD, DVM
Contact Information: