Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee Overview
Researchers/Instructors wishing to use living animals for research or instruction, must be familiar with the pertinent CMU procedures and coordinate with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, or IACUC.
IACUC is responsible for;
- ensuring compliance by CMU personnel and its facilities with federal regulations and national standards regarding the use of animals in research or education;
- review and prior approval for all activities involving animals, either at CMU facilities or in the field under CMU direction;
- regular inspections and reviews of the University’s animal program and facilities.
Animal research conducted on CMU’s campus will require an IACUC Review. The review process should take approximately 1-2 weeks.
NOTE: IACUC is authorized to suspend any activity involving the use of animals that is not being conducted according to accepted standards, applicable laws, regulations, and/or institutional policies.
IACUC Quarterly Meetings
IACUC meets at least once each quarter, usually on a Friday at 10:00 am. Please email [email protected] for meeting specifics.
IACUC Virtual Office Hours
Questions? Not sure which protocol form to use or what CITI training(s) are necessary? Want to discuss your project and get advice on protocol completion? Hop on Teams during the weekly IRB/IACUC office hours to chat with the IACUC Administrator.*
Mondays 2:00 – 3:00 pm: Join the meeting now
Fridays 11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Join the meeting now
*If you cannot attend the office hours, please email [email protected] to schedule another time to chat.
- All vertebrate animals used for research or teaching must be assigned to a USDA pain and distress category on the protocol under which they are used. Procedures that could cause pain or distress in humans should be assumed to cause pain or distress in other animals.
- If multiple procedures will be performed on an animal, the animal is placed in the category appropriate for the most painful/distressful procedure. One animal cannot be placed in multiple categories.
- Federal law requires that institutions that use animals in research and teaching have an Attending veterinarian who shall provide adequate veterinary care to its animals in compliance with the regulations. Programs of veterinary care must be described in writing to regulatory agencies, and there are specific record-keeping requirements.
- Adequate veterinary care consists of programs for preventative medicine; surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, and control of disease, including zoonosis control; management of protocol-associated disease, disability, or other sequelae; anesthesia and analgesia; surgery and postsurgical care; assessment of animal well-being and euthanasia. Although the Attending Veterinarian is responsible for overseeing the care and use of animals and for ensuring that adequate veterinary care is provided, elements of the program can be delegated to other veterinarians or animal care staff.
- Protocol modifications are reviewed within 5 business days. Requests for protocol renewals are usually responded to within 5 business days of submission.
CMU adheres to the policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institute of Health (NIH) for the humane care and use of laboratory animals (see Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals).
How to Report Animal Welfare Concerns and Incidents at CMU
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has an obligation under the AVMA, USDA APHIS, Animal Welfare Act and the PHS to ensure that all research and training using animal models is carried out in a humane and appropriate fashion.
No individual will be discriminated against or subject to reprisals for reporting possible violations of animal care standards.
What Should Be Reported
Concerns regarding possible misuse, mistreatment, abuse, or neglect of an animal or animals associated with CMU and CMU Tech should be reported immediately to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Chair, the IACUC Administrator, or one of the other contacts listed below. Any concerns about suspected inappropriate, unauthorized, or noncompliant conduct of activities involving animal care and use should also be reported promptly.
How to Report
Concerns may be reported in confidence, either in person or in writing, to the IACUC Chair, IACUC Administrator, Attending Veterinarian, or the Director of the Office of Sponsored Programs. Contact information and reporting guidelines are listed below.
Investigation & Follow-Up
It is the IACUC's responsibility to review concerns and incidents, as well as to initiate appropriate follow-up actions. Any reported concerns will be shared with the IACUC chair and if warranted, an IACUC meeting will be called and the Institutional Official informed. All concerns will be reviewed and, if necessary, investigated by IACUC officials. Any issues will then be addressed immediately and corrected, and measures will be implemented which prevent the recurrence of the problem. The IACUC may impose sanctions on training or may revoke animal use privileges in the event that an animal welfare concern is valid, jeopardizes animal health and safety, and is not resolved.
The Institutional Official, Attending Veterinarian, funding agency, regulatory agencies, and individual voicing concern will be notified of issue resolution.
Whistleblower Policy
The Animal Welfare Act protects the rights of individuals who report animal welfare concerns in good faith, as well as prohibits discrimination against or reprisal for reporting of violations of associated regulations and standards. In addition, Colorado Revised Statutes Section 24-50.5-103 protects whistleblowers who are public (state) employees. Furthermore, it is against Colorado Mesa University policy to retaliate against those who report suspected wrongdoing in good faith. The university will protect the confidentiality of whistleblowers to the fullest extent allowed by law. CMU is committed to protecting whistleblowers from any form of retaliation or adverse action as a result of their good-faith reporting. Retaliation against whistleblowers is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary actions, up to and including termination, against those responsible for such actions. Whistleblowers who believe they have faced retaliation should report such incidents promptly.
Reporting Guidelines
Prompt reporting of concerns enables protection for any affected animals and promotes a caring and ethical culture at CMU. Reports should be made in good faith and with a reasonable belief that the information is accurate.
Reports should include (but are not limited to) instances of:
- Significant adverse impact on the health or welfare of one or more animals
- Significant threat of adverse impact to animal welfare (such as extended power outages, flooding, facility damage)
- Significant or repeated noncompliance issues with regulatory (State of Colorado, OLAW, USDA) or funding entity (NSF, NIH) requirements
- Significant or repeated noncompliance issues with CMU and Animal Care and Use Program Protocols, Policies, Assurances, and Agreements
When making a report, please provide the following details when possible: date & time, location(s), animal species and numbers, associated Protocol(s), descriptions of particular incidents or events, and any actions taken.
Contact List for Animal Welfare Concerns
- IACUC Chair: Kelly Reuss; [email protected]
- IACUC Administrator/Deputy Research Integrity Officer: Laura Brady, PhD; [email protected]
- Director of Sponsored Programs: Jayde Tyler, MSB; [email protected]
- Institutional Official/Research Integrity Officer: Cher Hendricks, PhD; [email protected]
- Working with the IACUC Course
- Working with animals in biomedical research - refresher course
- Species-specific course
- Dr. Braden Shafer, DVM - CMU Tech - Attending Veterinarian (8/2028)
- Ms. Kelly Reuss - CMU Tech - Chair (8/2028)
- Mr. Ben Knapton, BS - CMU Tech (1/2026)
- Dr. Johanna Varner, PhD - Department of Biological Sciences (7/2028)
- Sharon Kettle-Kemp, AAS, RVT - CMU Tech (1/2027)
- Justin McCoy, BS – Non-Affiliated Community Member (1/2027)
Mailing Address:
Colorado Mesa University1100 North Avenue
Grand Junction, CO 81501-3122
Email: [email protected]