Animal Care and Use

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at California State University, Chico has the primary charge of ensuring that activities involving vertebrate animals, including educational instruction and research, are conducted humanely, do not expose animals to unnecessary risk, and use the fewest number of animals possible to obtain valid results. Federal regulations require activities involving the use of animal subjects to undergo a review by the IACUC. The IACUC is subject to federal regulations of the Public Health Service (PHS) and the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW). California State University, Chico holds a PHS Approved Domestic Animal Welfare Assurance (D16-00696 [A4399-01]).

The IACUC is comprised of at least 5 members, including Chico State faculty members and staff, a veterinarian, and a non-affiliated community member. Per federal requirements, the IACUC conducts semi-annual animal facility inspections and evaluates the University’s animal care and use program. The IACUC submits semi-annual reports and recommendations to the Institutional Official, and reports annually to OLAW per PHS policy.

Faculty who wish to use animal subjects must complete a protocol application and receive IACUC approval before the proposed activities may begin. Although the IACUC meets only semi-annually, protocols are reviewed throughout the year and can be submitted at any time for review. Protocol forms for proposed activities should be submitted to iacuc@csuchico.edu

To support the IACUC on behalf of the university, Sharon Ruggirello serves as the IACUC Coordinator and works in consultation with the IACUC, Chair, and Compliance Officer. Sharon is happy to answer general questions regarding the use of vertebrate animals and can be reached at iacuc@csuchico.edu.

Vertebrate Animal Use in Research & Instruction CITI Training Update (2/14/2023)

We are pleased to announce some important changes to the campus CITI Program.

The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) is an online program dedicated to serving the training needs of colleges and universities, healthcare institutions, and governmental agencies, as they foster their learners' integrity and professional advancement. Here at Chico State, we utilize the CITI Training program for a multitude of different research compliance training including:

•     Research Involving Human Subjects
•     Research Involving Vertebrate Animals  
•     Research Involving Gene Therapy, Recombinant or Synthetic DNA  
•     Responsible Conduct of Research 

In August of 2021, Chico State announced (PDF) the requirement for all vertebrate animal users in research or instruction to complete a required training course before a research or instructional protocol involving vertebrate animals can commence. We recently revised the CITI training program based on campus feedback to better support our campus community.  
 
Previously, an array of course options were available. These courses included modules that covered a broad range of topics and were fairly lengthy and unnecessary for every individual user. Effective immediately, a now more targeted training program offers 9 shorter course options supporting the differentiated training needs of our student, staff, and faculty researchers, as well as our IACUC members, Department Chairs, Administrators, and Animal Technicians. Additionally, to support the research and instructional training needs at the University Farm, we have added species-specific elective modules now including large farm animals (i.e., Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Goats, and Swine), removing the limitation of laboratory animals only.  Furthermore, the number of required modules in each course to receive a completion certificate has been modified or reduced. These changes focused on the individual's role in the project, removing the one-course-fits-all model.

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations for the protection of vertebrate animals including ethical research principles. We are in the process of developing and revising current policies and procedures to provide our campus community with the tools and resources necessary to lead, participate in, and conduct ethically sound research.
 
Information regarding CITI Training courses and step-by-step instructions for registering for an account can be found on the CITI Program website. All inquiries regarding animal care and use should be directed to Sharon Ruggirello at iacuc@csuchico.edu.

Expand All | Collapse All

• Animal Subjects Protocol Forms

  Animal Subjects Protocol Form (PDF) (updated 10/2019)
  Digital Signature Instructions (PDF)

• Policies

  Chico State EM 09-006: Animal Welfare Policy
  Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PDF)