All UNH faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students involved in the care and use of vertebrate animals are required to attend once a general training session that is offered semiannually (each Fall and Spring semester) by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Animal Resources Office (ARO), Research Integrity Services (RIS) and Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEH&S). Information about the Fall 2013 semester training sessions is available here.

This training session covers, but is not limited to, the following:

• Pertinent policies, regulations, and guidelines for the humane care and use of animals;
• UNH animal care and use program, including website;
• The UNH IACUC, application forms (including categories of pain and distress), and application review process;
• The occupational health program for animal handlers;
• Information sources for alternatives to live animal research models;
• Reduction, refinement, and replacement (3 Rs);
• Approval of facilities housing vertebrate animals;
• The Manual for the Care and Use of Animals at UNH;
• Biological and personal safety;
• Emergency preparedness;
• Communication guidelines;
• Procedures for reporting concerns about animal care and/or use; and
• Occupational safety.

UNH has an interactive, self-contained Web-based training module on the use of vertebrate animals in research and instruction. This module may be completed according to an individual’s own timeframe. Allow approximately 30 minutes to complete the module.

In addition to the general training session, training is offered to personnel on a regular basis via the following:

• Providing all individuals involved in animal care and use activities with access to a copy of the Manual for the Care and Use of Animals at UNH,
• Meeting with individual UNH departments involved in animal activities to update regulations, provide information, and discuss concerns,
• Circulating written material as necessary to inform animal care personnel about new regulations or methods pertinent to animal activities,
• Offering individual instruction to project directors, technicians and students for specific techniques, including animal handling, surgery, anesthesia, and experimental manipulations, and
• Inviting UNH or external scientists to lecture on ethical and technical aspects of animal research.

Information about training of all individuals utilizing animals is requested as part of the IACUC application review process, including years of experience with the proposed animal model, and identification of the trainer, if applicable.

To request assistance with training, or for more information about vertebrate animal care and use in general, please contact Dean Elder, Director, Animal Resources Office at 603-862-4629.