Division of Research

Institutional Animal Care and Use

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Institutional Animal Care and Use

Animal use is highly regulated by federal law, government regulations and local policy. The use of animals at Brown University is considered a privilege that carries great responsibility, and Brown is committed to maintaining high standards of animal welfare.

As evidence of this commitment, Brown University holds a U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Animal Welfare Assurance, is registered as a research facility with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and is fully accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC International).

Brown adheres to all U.S. regulations related to the care and use of animals, including the guidance linked below. Animal spaces and research laboratories are inspected at minimum twice a year to ensure compliance with regulations, policies and protocols.

Roles and Responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities regarding animal care and use at Brown

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

IACUC is a group of faculty, veterinarians, staff and community members appointed by the vice president of research to evaluate and oversee animal use in research at Brown. Any use of live vertebrate animals must be approved by this committee.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

Animal Research Compliance (ARC) Team

The Animal Research Compliance (ARC) team is part of the Office of Research Integrity and is responsible for managing the IACUC. Animal Research Compliance facilitates the submission and review of protocols, manages animal care facilities and facilitates IACUC meetings. The team is responsible for compliance reviews and reporting to sponsors and federal agencies. Contact the ARC team or IACUC at iacuc@brown.edu.

Center for Animal Resources and Education

The Center for Animal Resources and Education (CARE) ensures humane care by providing for animals' daily care and housing and veterinary care when necessary. The team is dedicated to supporting the education and research mission of Brown University, while maintaining compliance with federal, state and institutional regulations, guidelines and policies.

Center for Animal Resources and Education

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

Brown University's Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), within Environmental Health and Safety, evaluates and provides oversight of the use of biohazardous agents, including materials used in animal research.

Some examples of animal research that require IBC oversight include:

Use of recombinant DNA to study how viruses attach and move within animal cells
Use of bacteria to maintain and propagate expression plasmids
Use of recombinant Cholera toxin B in cerebral tissue of mice
Injection of Candida strains into fish in order to monitor the progression of disease

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

Animal Use Alternatives

Proposed animal use at Brown is carefully reviewed for scientific merit, animal welfare and principles of good stewardship. The use of nonanimal alternatives is required unless there is a valid scientific justification for use of live animals.

Brown follows the “three Rs” of good research: replacement, refinement and reduction. This means that researchers at Brown will:

replace animal models with nonanimal alternatives whenever possible;
refine research methods to reduce animal use, improve efficiency and ensure animal welfare; and
reduce any remaining animal use to the minimum necessary to achieve sound scientific results.

Animal Use Alternatives (USDA)

AAALAC International Accreditation

AAALAC is a voluntary research accreditation organization that inspects research facilities and evaluates an institution’s research program. AAALAC’s minimum standards for accreditation are stringent, and program evaluations include in-depth reviews of policies, procedures, records, housing, staffing and facilities and a triennial in-person site inspection. AAALAC accreditation signifies excellence in research conduct, programming and adherence to regulatory standards.

What Is AAALAC Accreditation?