Training, Federal Regulations and Policies, and Other Resources

Training Programs

SUNY Geneseo students, faculty, and staff will have appropriate animal care and use, and safety and occupational health training before beginning research or educational projects that involve animals

Faculty members are expected to provide training to students involved in animal care and use, as appropriate. SUNY Geneseo also subscribes to the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Laboratory Animal Welfare Course, which provides on-line training appropriate for students, faculty and staff, and for members of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).  Before becoming involved in projects involving animals, students should complete the CITI Laboratory Animal Welfare Course modules, as described below, and as directed by their faculty member(s). 

Safety and Occupational Health Training is provided to all students involved in animal care and use by Mr. Edward Beary, Instructional Support Specialist and Environmental Health and Safety Officer, Biology Department.  Please see instructions below for contacting Mr. Beary and arranging for both in-person and on-line training.

Students should also complete the Animal Care and Use Training Certification form (Word Version) (PDF Version) which certifies that they:  1) have read the approved animal protocol, as provided by their faculty member(s); 2) have successfully completed on-line Laboratory Animal Welfare training, as appropriate; 3) have completed in-person and on-line Safety and Occupational Health Training with Mr. Beary; and 4)  will not perform any procedures without supervision until they have been appropriately trained.  The form must be signed by the student, Mr. Beary, and the faculty investigator under whose supervision the student will be working.

On-line Training:  CITI Animal Care and Use Course

1. Go to the CITI website: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/animal-care-and-use-quality-assurance-qa-programs/?h=animal%20care

2. Click on "Register Here."

3. Choose "SUNY-Geneseo" from the drop down list of Participating Institutions, and register a username and password. Complete other required registration information as indicated.

4. From the Main Menu, click on the link to "Add a course or update your learner groups."

5. You will be taken to the "Select Curriculum Page"

6. Enroll for the appropriate Animal Care and Use course modules by checking the appropriate boxes (Students, please check with your faculty member if you're not sure which to choose)

a. The Basic Course module, "Working with the IACUC," is required

b. Modules on aseptic surgery, minimizing pain and distress in rats and mice, and species-specific modules on rats, mice, amphibians, fish, and zebra fish (danio rerio) may also be required (Students, please check with your faculty member).

c. A module is also available for members of the IACUC

7. Complete all required modules.

8. Pass quizzes at the end of each with a combined score of at least 80%.

9. Print out the CITI Laboratory Animal Welfare Course Completion Report and send a copy to the Office of Sponsored Research (Erwin 221) to the attention of Anne Baldwin, Director of Sponsored Research.

10. The basic course will require 4-6 hours to complete.

If you have questions, please contact Anne Baldwin,  x5547 or baldwinA@geneseo.edu

Safety and Occupational Health Training:

Please contact Mr. Edward Beary, Instructional Support Specialist and Environmental Health and Safety Officer, Biology Department via email (beary@geneseo.edu) to arrange for both in-person and on-line training in Safety and Occupational Health.  This training will involve in-person training in the use of safety and common laboratory equipment, and an on-line program, through Canvas (our learning management system), covering topics such as chemical hygiene, personal protective equipment, etc.

Student Animal Care and Use Training Certification

All students must complete the Student Animal Care and Use Training Certification form (Word version) (PDF Version) and return a copy to Anne Baldwin, Office of Sponsored Research, Erwin 221D.  This form certifies that students 1) have read the approved animal protocol, as provided by their faculty member(s); 2) have successfully completed on-line Laboratory Animal Welfare training, as appropriate; 3) have completed in-person and on-line Safety and Occupational Health Training with Mr. Beary; and 4)  will not perform any procedures without supervision until they have been appropriately trained.  The form must be signed by the student, Mr. Beary, and the faculty investigator under whose supervision the student will be working.

Training Logs

All students and their faculty mentors must maintain training logs which must be available upon request.  Here is a basic template which may be modified as appropriate: Training Log (xlsx)

Federal Regulations and Policies:

Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/guide-for-the-care-and-use-of-laboratory-animals.pdf

Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm

Animal Welfare Act : https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-justice-department-enter-memorandum-understanding-civil-enforcement

Public Law 99-158, November 20, 1985 "Animals in Research": http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/hrea1985.htm

Other Resources:

NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/olaw.htm - Comprehensive website contains News Flashes and Archives, Policies and Laws Guidance, General Information, List of Institutions holding Animal Welfare Assurances, list of useful Links.

NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare Tutorial - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/tutorial/index.htm - A tutorial for new animal care and use committee members, institutional administrators, investigators, animal care personnel, veterinarians, or others who are interested in learning about the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service - https://www.aphis.usda.gov/organism-soil-imports/importation-plant-growth-enhancers/importation-soil-amendments-or-pge

USDA Animal Welfare Home Page - https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal-care/caw

Animal Welfare Information Center - http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/ - Division of the USDA National Agricultural Library, providing information for improved animal care and use in research, teaching, and testing.

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) - http://www.avma.org

AVMA Panel on Euthanasia - https://olaw.nih.gov/avma-guidelines-2020.htm

American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) - http://www.aalas.org - AALAS advances responsible care and use of laboratory animals to benefit people and animals.

IACUC.ORG - http://www.iacuc.org - IACUC.ORG is an information resource for members and staff of institutional animal care and use committees. It is a link archive where online resources are organized by menus and submenus. Many who browse the Internet for IACUC resources may find it overwhelming to randomly sift through the enormity of Web sites and their online materials. IACUC.ORG was developed as an organizing tool to quickly point to a topic of interest, such as example protocol-12 forms or disaster plans used by other institutions. IACUC.ORG is produced by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS).

Institute for Laboratory Animal Research - http://dels.nas.edu/ilar/ - The Institute of Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) evaluates and disseminates information on issues related to the scientific, technological, and ethical use of animals and related biological resources in research, testing, and education. Using the principles of refinement, reduction, and replacement (3Rs) as a foundation, ILAR promotes high-quality science through the humane care and use of animals and the implementation of alternatives.

Scientists Center for Animal Welfare - http://www.scaw.com - SCAW's ongoing activities include providing information about, for example, regulations and guidelines, ethical issues, performance standards, protocol-12 review, facility design, the relationship between people and animals in a research setting, and alternative research methods. SCAW organizes and conducts conferences and seminars that explore scientific and ethical matters related to research activities and animal well-being - these meetings are sponsored by SCAW and also in cooperation with other national and regional organizations. SCAW also provides educational information and materials to teachers and students on all levels who are exploring these issues. SCAW's publications are widely accepted.

Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) - http://www.primr.org  - PRIM&R has been committed to the advancement of strong research programs and to the consistent application of ethical precepts in both medicine and research. Through national conferences and published reports, it has addressed a broad range of issues in research, clinical practice, ethics, and the law.

NIH Bioethics Resources on the Web - http://www.nih.gov/sigs/bioethics - This website contains a broad collage of annotated web links. The listed resources provide background information and various positions on issues in bioethics.

Zoonoses:

The following websites offer information on diseases (zoonoses) that can be contracted from animals by humans

New York State Department of Health - http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/

University of Wisconsin - Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine, Zoonotic Diseases Tutorial - https://ehs.wisc.edu/labs-research/animal-research-safety/reproductive-hazards-in-animal-research/

University of Pennsylvania, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Species-Specific Fact Sheets for Zoonoses - http://www.upenn.edu/regulatoryaffairs/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=35

County Of Los Angeles - Department of Health Services, Public Health Programs and Services - Disease Control Programs, Veterinary Public Health and Rabies Control Manual - Overview of Zoonoses - http://lapublichealth.org/vet/guides/vetzooman.htm