The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee is responsible for the review, approval, and surveillance of all research and teaching protocols involving the use of animals at the University of Chicago. This review and surveillance is conducted to assure the humane care and use of animals in these protocols. Using animals in research or teaching requires the committee's prior approval. The committee works closely with the Animal Resources Center, which is responsible for the animal procurement, facilities, husbandry, and specialized veterinary services.
The use of animals in research and teaching is governed by federal regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare. The University of Chicago has an approved assurance with the NIH, is registered with the USDA and has Full Accreditation from the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. The policies and guidelines of the Animal Resources Center and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee are designed to ensure institutional compliance with these agencies’ regulations and to maintain our accreditation status. The committee's institutional official is Kenneth S. Polonsky, Dean of the Biological Sciences Division.
The Office of Research Safety supports the committee and the Animal Resources Center by providing standard and ad hoc biosafety training, as well as risk assessments of animal research involving hazardous materials. These materials include pathogenic microorganisms (covered by the Instituional Biosafety Committee's agent profile forms) and hazardous chemicals (covered by the committe's own chemical administration form).