Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

The IACUC is a group of faculty, veterinarians, staff, and community members appointed by the Deputy Vice President for Research to evaluate and oversee animal use in research. The Brown IACUC is responsible for reviewing and overseeing all research and teaching activities involving vertebrate animals and cephalopods conducted by Brown personnel and its affiliates that rely on Brown University’s IACUC as their IACUC of record. All vertebrate animal research must be reviewed and approved by the Brown IACUC in accordance with Public Health Services (PHS) Policy, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), and the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

Types of IACUC Review

Protocols may be reviewed using one of the following methods, depending on the nature of the work:

• Full Committee Review (FCR): Required for certain protocols that warrant review by the full committee.
• Designated Member Review (DMR): Used for most other submissions and conducted on a rolling basis.

Protocols requiring Full Committee Review (FCR) are reviewed at scheduled IACUC meetings. To allow sufficient time for veterinary and ARC review, submissions should be made 3-4 weeks in advance of the meeting date.

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. ARC facilitates protocol submission and review, inspections of animal care facilities, and coordinates IACUC meetings. ARC is also responsible for compliance reviews and reporting to sponsors and federal agencies. To contact the IACUC or ARC team, please email 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

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

Brown follows the “three Rs” of responsible research: replacement, refinement, and reduction. This means researchers 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 is a voluntary accreditation organization that inspects research facilities and evaluates institutional animal care and use programs. Its standards for accreditation are stringent, requiring comprehensive reviews of policies, procedures, records, housing, staffing, and facilities, along with a triennial in-person site inspection. Achieving AAALAC accreditation signifies excellence in research practices, program oversight, and adherence to regulatory standards.

What Is AAALAC Accreditation?

• AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals
• NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)
• OLAW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Guidebook
• Animal Research Compliance (ARC) Acronyms Used in Research (PDF)

Members of the Brown community can learn more about animal research, oversight committees, and available resources by visiting Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).