Investigator Responsibilities

Investigators must meet certain criteria prior to beginning any project using research animals at the NIH. These include completion of an NIH training course, registration with the Animal Exposure Surveillance Program, obtaining approval from an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for proposed studies, animal procurement, and instruction in special animal facility operating procedures. These requirements, as well as other useful information, are described below:

• Animal Study Proposals

  You must be a Principal Investigator or listed as an Animal User on an approved Animal Study Proposal (ASP) before conducting research on any animal at the NIH. The ASP must describe the species and strain to be used, proposed experimental manipulations and surgery, and the use of hazardous agents. ASPs are reviewed and approved by your Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Any changes or modifications to your ASPs, including the addition or removal of research personnel, must also be approved by your IACUC. Contact your Animal Program Director or IACUC Chair for more information.

• NIH Training Course

  NIH Policy Manual 3040-2 (Animal Care and Use in the Intramural Program) specifically requires all individuals authorized to conduct procedures involving animals under ASPs to attend the NIH course Using Animals in Intramural Research. There are actually two different courses:

  1. All Principal Investigators are required to complete the NIH course Using Animals in Intramural Research: Guidelines for Principal Investigators, prior to using animals in research.
  2. All other Animal Users (i.e., individuals listed on ASPs as authorized to conduct procedures involving animals) must attend the NIH course Using Animals in Intramural Research: Guidelines for Animal Users.

  Both courses are offered periodically. Call the NIH Office of Animal Care and Use (301-496-5424) for course schedule information and registration.

• Animal Exposure Surveillance Program

  Participation in the Animal Exposure Surveillance Program (AESP) is a requirement of all personnel who work in animal facilities and who have substantial animal contact. This shall include, at a minimum, principal investigators and their staff who use animals in their research, veterinarians, and animal care staff members. This surveillance program is designed for personnel who have direct contact with a variety of animals, their viable tissues, body fluids, wastes, or living quarters. This program was developed to protect personnel from hazards that may be present in the animals (e.g., zoonotic diseases) and to protect the animals from infectious diseases that may be present in personnel. Contact Occupational Medical Services to enroll yourself in the AESP. You will be asked to describe the nature of your animal exposure (i.e., rodents and rabbits, ungulates, carnivores, nonhuman primates, etc.). The specific surveillance needs of an individual will be based on the type of animal contact.

• Building 6B Animal Facility Orientation

  All investigators must attend a Facility Orientation session before being given access to the Building 6B Shared Animal Facility. Contact the Contract On-Site Supervisor to make arrangements for your orientation.