Policies and procedures established by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in accordance with OPRR’s Guide for the Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, must be met by all faculty, staff and students working with warm-blooded, vertebrate animals.

Research projects involving the use of animals must receive formal review and approval from the IACUC prior to proposal submission. Individuals should submit protocols well in advance of proposal deadlines in order to allow sufficient time to review and, if necessary, revise research protocols. There are no circumstances that would permit the procurement of animals or the initiation of a research project without formal IACUC review and approval. After the principal investigator receives formal approval of his/her research protocol, the Grants and Contracts Office prepares a "single project assurance" for inclusion in the research proposal.

Davidson College employs a full-time animal care technician certified by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to maintain and oversee all aspects of animal care and use in teaching and research. The technician is available to answer questions and provide guidance concerning the maintenance of laboratory animals. Individuals should contact the IACUC Chair, Dr. Verna Case, for a copy of the Faculty Handbook for the Use of Animals in Research Testing or Teaching at Davidson College. Additional information on the use of animals in research is available at http://www.bio.davidson.edu/programs/animal/index.html.