Principal Investigator Responsibilities

Although institutional policies are designed to provide Thiel College’s IACUC and Institutional Official responsible for animal welfare the necessary resources to assure compliance, a significant burden of responsibility also rests with the principal investigator. The principal investigator is charged with completing an approved animal use protocol. It is also the principal investigator's responsibility to ensure that IACUC approvals have been obtained, annual updates to the IACUC Chair have been submitted, and any significant changes to the protocol have been approved by the IACUC in advance.  

A. The Animal Use Protocol shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:
   1. Identification of the species and approximate number of animals to be used;
   2. Rationale for involving animals, and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers to be used;
   3. A complete description of the proposed use of the animals;
   4. A description of procedures designed to assure that discomfort and injury to animals will be limited to    that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically valuable research, and that analgesic, anesthetic,    and tranquilizing drugs will be used where indicated and appropriate to minimize discomfort and pain to    animals; and
   5. A description of any euthanasia method to be used.

B. The U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training identify responsibilities of principal Investigators whose animal use activities are subject to oversight by the IACUC. In summary, the Principles expect principal investigators to:

   1. Design and perform procedures on the basis of relevance to human or animal health, advancement of    knowledge, or the good of society;
   2. Use the appropriate species, quality, and number of animals to obtain valid results;
   3. Avoid or minimize discomfort, distress, and pain in concert with sound science;
   4. Use appropriate sedation, analgesia, or anesthesia;
   5. Establish experimental end points;
   6. Provide appropriate animal husbandry directed and performed by qualified persons; and
   7. Conduct experiments on living animals only under the close supervision of qualified and experienced    persons.