Mandate
The Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC) reviews and approves all proposals for research, testing, and teaching involving live animals in accordance with guidelines, policies and associated documents established by the Canadian Council for Animal Care (CCAC). The committee ensures that all animal care and handling at Grant MacEwan University is conducted in an ethical and humane manner. It approves animal use protocols and oversees the post-approval monitoring of animal use protocols.
Committee Operations
The ACEC will meet at least twice a year to fulfill the following responsibilities:
- review and approve all animal-based teaching and research projects before they begin, applying the basic Three Rs tenet of replacing, reducing and refining animal use to the greatest extent possible and working with CCAC policies and guidelines, including the CCAC Guidelines On Animal Use Protocol Review;
- review and approve institutional policies and SOPs on animal care and use;
- ensure that its terms of reference are complete and being followed; and
- undertake post-approval monitoring including animal facility site visits and discuss ongoing and upcoming work, new information from the CCAC and any new elements or concerns related to the university’s animal care and use program.
1. Mandate
The Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC) reviews and approves all proposals for research, testing, and teaching involving live animals in accordance with guidelines, policies and associated documents established by the Canadian Council for Animal Care (CCAC). The committee ensures that all animal care and handling at Grant MacEwan University is conducted in an ethical and humane manner. It approves animal use protocols and oversees the post-approval monitoring of animal use protocols.
2. Accountability
2.1 The ACEC Committee is a subcommittee of MacEwan’s Academic Governance Council (AGC) and reports to the Associate Vice President, Academic and Research (AVPAR) as delegated by the Provost and Executive Vice President Academic (Provost/EVPA).
2.2 The Committee Chair will report on the committee’s activities to AGC and submit recommendations as required for the AGC’s consideration.
2.3 The committee refers to the AVPAR any breeches of compliance with approved animal use protocols and standards of practice (SOP’s) that cannot be corrected by the ACEC.
2.4 ACEC Authority and Responsibility:
The Committee has the ultimate authority over all animal use in all MacEwan facilities including the authority to:
a. Stop any objectionable procedure if it considers that unnecessary distress or pain is being experienced by an animal.
b. Stop immediately any use of animals which deviates from the approved use, any non-approved procedure, or any procedure causing unforeseen pain or distress to animals.
c. Have an animal killed humanely if pain or distress caused to the animal is not part of the approved protocol and cannot be alleviated.
The Committee has the responsibility to:
a. delegate to the veterinarian(s) the authority to treat, remove from a study or euthanize, if necessary, an animal according to the veterinarian’s professional judgment.
b. ensure that no research, testing, or teaching project (including field studies) involving animals commence without prior ACEC approval; further, that no animals be acquired or used before such approval.
c. ensure that no animals be held for display or breeding purposes or for eventual use in research, teaching or testing projects without prior ACEC approval of a written animal use protocol.
d. require all identified animal users to complete an Animal Use Protocol Form – Research and Testing, or an Animal Use Protocol Form – Teaching, and to make a determination as to approval.
e. ensure that, for research projects, a peer review of scientific merit is completed; if the review is not provided by an external peer review agency, the ACEC requires that it be obtained according to the CCAC Guidelines On Animal Use Protocol Review, 1997 (see also the appropriate ACEC SOP and the CCAC Policy on the Importance of Independent Peer Review of the Scientific Merit of Animal-Based Research Projects, 2000).
f. review and assess all animal use protocols.
g. review all protocols annually and approve any modifications to protocols before they are implemented; annual renewals (including but not limited to, change of species, more invasive procedures, larger number of animals) require approval by at least a scientist, a veterinarian and a community representative. For any major changes to a protocol, as judged by the ACEC, the ACEC shall require that a new protocol be submitted. A new protocol is required after three consecutive renewals.
h. document all ACEC discussions and decisions in committee minutes and on attachments to the protocol forms.
i. ensure that all animal users are aware of and have the opportunity to become familiar with the CCAC's Guide and Ethics statement and all other CCAC guidelines and policy statements; federal, provincial, or municipal statutes that may apply; as well as institutional requirements.
j. require that animal users update their protocols with any modifications they intend to make.
k. require that animal users report immediately any problems or complications affecting the health and well-being of animals, as well as steps they have taken to address the problem(s), to the ACEC.
l. ensure appropriate and safe disposal of biological waste generated as a result of research with animals.
m. establish procedures, commensurate with
- current veterinary standards, to ensure that unnecessary pain or distress is avoided;
- proper and effective use of anaesthesia and analgesia; the only exception to this may be when agents must be withheld as a scientifically-justified requirement of the study, and that this has been approved by the ACEC. Pain research requiring exemption from the use of either anaesthetics or analgesia will be subject to enhanced scrutiny, not only prior to approval, but also during experimentation;
- appropriate post-operative care including requirements for post-operative analgesia;
- due consideration for animal welfare, including environmental enrichment.
n. provide guidelines for the establishment and implementation of a system of animal care that will meet the needs of the University; this will include but not necessarily be limited to the following:
- requiring that all animal care and animal experimentation are conducted according to CCAC guidelines and policies, and any federal, provincial and institutional regulations that may be in effect;
- ensuring adequate animal care and management of the animal facilities;
- the training and qualifications of animal users and animal care personnel; standards of husbandry, facilities and equipment;
- procedures for euthanasia.
3. Composition
3.1 The ACEC and AVPAR shall recommend members to AGC Nominating Committee in compliance with CCAC guidelines.
3.2 The Committee shall be comprised of the following members, as per Policy C5053 (Animal Care and Ethics):
a. a minimum of two full-time continuing faculty members experienced in animal care and use in research, testing, or teaching, who may or may not be actively using animals during their term on the ACEC;
b. ex-officio - a veterinarian, preferably experienced in experimental animal care and use, who is being provided with continuing education/training opportunities in experimental animal care and use;
c. a University member whose normal activities do not depend on or involve animal use for research, teaching or testing;
d. a person(s) representing community interests and concerns, who has no affiliation with the University, and who is not involved in animal use for research, teaching or testing;
e. a full-time student(s) of the University;
f. ex-officio - the animal care coordinator (who provides support to the committee);
g. ex-officio - a person responsible for management of University animal facilities;
h. a chair who is not directly involved in the management of the University animal facilities, nor is the consulting veterinarian for the University, nor is involved in the preparation of a significant number of the protocols to be reviewed by the Committee, in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest;
j. other persons may be appointed to the ACEC as the need arises (including representative from Health Safety and Wellness department) and a vice chair may be appointed as appropriate.
4. Term of Office
4.1 Members will normally serve 3 year terms, except for student members who will normally serve 1 year terms. Terms may be renewed only up to a maximum of eight consecutive years of service.
4.2 The Research Office shall provide formal orientation to ACEC policies and procedures, CCAC guidelines and MacEwan’s animal care and use program. In addition training programs will be made available as needed.
5. Committee Operations
5.1 The ACEC will meet at least twice a year to fulfill the following responsibilities:
review and approve all animal-based teaching and research projects before they begin, applying the basic Three Rs tenet of replacing, reducing and refining animal use to the greatest extent possible and working with CCAC policies and guidelines, including the CCAC Guidelines On Animal Use Protocol Review;
review and approve institutional policies and SOPs on animal care and use;
ensure that its terms of reference are complete and being followed; and
undertake post-approval monitoring including animal facility site visits and discuss ongoing and upcoming work, new information from the CCAC and any new elements or concerns related to the university’s animal care and use program.
5.2 The ACEC’s Procedures are outlined in Policy C5053: Animal Care and Ethics.
5.3 The ACEC shall hold regular meetings between September 1 and June 30.
5.4 The office of the AVPAR shall provide resource support to the committee.
5.5 Meeting notes shall be filed with the AVPAR and AGC Secretariat as appropriate.
5.6 The ACEC shall maintain liaison with the CCAC Secretariat.
5.7 The ACEC shall submit to CCAC annually by March 31, a completed CCAC Animal Use Data form.
5.8 The ACEC shall sponsor seminars/workshops on the use of animals in science and the ethics of animal experimentation.
5.9 The ACEC shall review, at least every 3 years, its Terms of Reference and associated policies.
Note: These Terms of Reference complement Policy C5053: Animal Care and Ethics.
Approved by Academic Governance Council
March 9, 2010 (Motion AGC-13-03-09-2010)
The Animal Care and Ethics Committee meets at least twice a year.
Chair: Trevor Hamilton, Assistant Professor, Psychology
Administrative Support: Amy Brauer, Research Ethics Coordinator, Academic Quality Assurance and Accreditation
780-633-3274, brauera@macewan.ca
Website: www.macewan.ca/areb
