Applications must be received in full to be presented to the Animal Care Committee (ACC) for review. Complete the appropriate form below and submit it to the ACC coordinator, Valoree Walker.
- Form 1- Animal Use Protocol (AUP) Application (docx)
For the use of animals in research and teaching.
Note: If this is a teaching or training protocol you must have a Pedagogical Merit Review done prior to the AUP review. See details and forms below.
For research projects you may require scientific merit review if this has not already been done. Details on these requirements are in the section below.
Protocol review procedures when there is more than one institution involved (collaborations) - details of the process to be followed are outlined in the document ACC Review Procedures for Animal-Based Projects Involving Two or More Institutions- Form 1A - Evidence of Skills and Training Form (EST)
To be completed by each person listed on an animal use protocol. - Form 1B- Hazard Assessment Evaluation Form
see additional guidelines in the section below "Occupational Health and Safety for Activities Involving Animals"
- Form 1A - Evidence of Skills and Training Form (EST)
- Form 2 - Request to Amend/Modify an Approved Animal Use Protocol
Approved Animal Use Protocols occasionally need to be amended to reflect changes such as addition of new personnel, changes in animal numbers or strains, or changes in animal procedures. These amendments must be approved by the Animal Care Committee (ACC) prior to their implementation. Depending on the extent of the amendment and the implications for animal welfare, the Principal Investigator (PI) may be required to submit a Request to Amend an Approved Animal Use Protocol Form (minor amendments), or may be required to make a new submission using the Animal Use Protocol Application (major amendments). Guidelines are provided to determine the type of amendments and the process you will require. - Form 3- Animal Use Protocol Renewal Application
This form is for previously approved protocols involving animals. A renewal must be submitted within the one-year approval period of the AUP. It is recommended that renewals be submitted at least one month before expiry of the approval. Renewals must describe the animal use details including animal species to be used, any changes to the original protocol and an update on the outcome of the previous approval as they relate to any complications/incidents, the adequacy of interventions and endpoints and any progress with respect to the three Rs. AUPs may have up to 3 renewals and then a new AUP must be submitted. If the AUP is not continuing, a final report (annual report) must be submitted for closure of the project. - Form 4 - ACC Annual Reporting Year-end reporting for protocols involving animals. Complete this form at year end (for multi-year projects) or upon project completion. Attach all supporting materials.
As a Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) certified institution, YukonU is required to report their annual animal data each year (January 1 to December 31) and provide specific information regarding the number of animals, the types of projects they were involved in, and the invasiveness of the procedures undertaken. Anyone with an approved animal use protocol is required to submit an annual report with details that are provided to the CCAC, The ACC office will contact individuals to confirm details for the reporting. - Form 5 - ACC Incident Reporting for recording and reporting unanticipated animal related incidents and mortality to the ACC.
ACC Incident Reporting Instructions
Note: The CCAC requires all major animal welfare incidents be reported to CCAC within 10 days of their occurrence. Examples of major incidents include:- disregard of, or unintended failure to follow approved practices and procedures
- serious or repeated noncompliance with CCAC standards that leads to suspension by the ACC or the institution of animal-based activity that threatens animal health and welfare.
More information "CCAC Reportable Animal Welfare Incidents Frequently Asked Questions" February 2022.
Yukon University (YukonU) Animal Care Committee (ACC) is responsible for overseeing animal use that is involves faculty, researchers, instructors, staff and students who work with animals in research and teaching, even if this work occurs at another institution or is done at YukonU by non-YukonU collaborators or other individuals.
The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) policy "Animal-Based Projects Involving Two or More Institutions" (2003) provides guidance for institutions to follow for developing a process to follow for animal-based collaborative work for research or teaching. CCAC also has a document "Frequently Asked Questions for Animal-based Projects involving two or more institutions" that individuals should review.
As per the CCAC Policy "An institution is responsible for the ethical acceptability of animal-based research, teaching and testing undertaken by its faculty, staff, other personnel, or students, regardless of where the work is conducted". Therefore, the YukonU ACC is responsible for the ethical acceptability of animal-based research and testing by our faculty, staff, students or other personnel, regardless of where the animal use is conducted. The ACC oversees the review of animal-based activity as described in an Animal Use Protocol (AUP) application.
YukonU ACC has developed guidelines as per the CCAC policy and these outline our review procedures for animal-based activities that involve two or more institutions. We will communicate with other institutional ACCs to ensure that all requirements for animal-based activities that involve additional sites or individuals are followed.
More details contact the ACC Coordinator vwalker@yukonu.ca
Some research, teaching or other activities that do not require full review by the Animal Care Committee include
- Research or teaching protocols that are Category A of Invasiveness
- Observation of wild animals (where the research does not involve modification of the environment that might affect animal behavior)
- Invertebrate animal research (below Class Cephalopoda).
- Work involving live isolates (ex. excreta/parasites collected from the environment without handling live animals, zebrafish embryos less than 96 hours old, chick embryos at less than 2/3 incubation).
- Work involving animal derived tissues or cadavers (animals found dead or tissue obtained from a slaughterhouse or animals euthanized under another animal use protocol for that research).
- Other activities that involve interacting with animals that are not research, teaching or testing, may also not require ethics review, but may still require consideration of animal welfare, human health and safety, or other issues that need to be addressed.
- To ensure that your research or teaching activity does not require a review we ask that you complete the Form 6 - ACC Exemption Form and submit to the ACC Coordinator (vwalker@yukonu.ca) to confirm it is exempt before beginning any of these types of activities. This also provides details for requirements to register animal based activities involving Yukon University faculty and students.
Other activities that do not require ACC review include pets or display animals (e.g. fish) kept in offices or public areas unrelated to research or teaching activities involving interaction with animals not related to teaching or research. This includes but is not limited to the following:
- The use of therapy animals on campus
- The use of animals on campus for social events / student club events
- Third-party, animal-based activities held on campus (e.g. dog club / training using campus facilities
Details on what requires review and exemptions are provided in the CCAC document Requirement for Submitting an Animal Protocol - Addendum to the CCAC policy statement on: terms of reference for animal care committees (May, 2020)
Form 7 - Reporting Concerns Regarding Animal Care and Use in Research and Teaching Form
Yukon University invites open discussion of all topics surrounding the use of animals in research and teaching. It is the responsibility of everyone working with animals at the University to ensure adherence to approved animal use protocols. We want to ensure safe disclosure of concerns related to animal involvement in research and teaching at Yukon University. At any time, members of the community may email the Research Ethics Office with questions or concerns. Anyone witnessing or are aware of questionable animal use conduct, may report anonymously to the Yukon University Animal Care Coordinator (Dr. Valoree Walker, vwalker@yukonu.ca) or to the Vice-Provost, Academic and Research (Dr. Bronwyn Hancock, bhancock@yukonu.ca). These concerns will be forwarded automatically to the YukonU Consulting Veterinarian and the YukonU Animal Care Committee to initiate an investigation. Use this form for reporting.
In compliance with the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) requirements, a pedagogical merit assessment must be completed for course work that involves animal-based activities. This is to determine whether a proposal for the use of animals in teaching is essential to achieving successful learning outcomes or whether replacement alternatives could be (partially or completely) used. This must be completed prior to the Animal Use Protocol (AUP) review by the YukonU Animal Care Committee.
- Pedagogical Merit Review Form- Instructors
- Pedagogical Merit Review Form - Reviewers
- Expedited Pedagogical Merit Form - Reviewers
- Student Pedagogical Merit Feedback Form
- Pedagogical Review Guidelines and Process for the Use of Animals in Teaching
CCAC Policy: Pedagogical Merit of live animal-based teaching and training
CCAC FAQs: Pedagogical Merit of Live Animal-Based Teaching and Training (July 2020)
CCAC Training Module: THREE RS OF HUMANE ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION
This short video "Pedagogical Merit Review for Live Animal Use Activities" has been created by the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Saskatchewan and discusses how to write learning objectives and outcomes that require the use of animals and align with learning activities and assessments.
Research that involves the use of animals requires evidence of scientific merit before they can be considered for approval by the Yukon University Animal Care Committee. When an application submitted to the ACC has not been reviewed and/or funded by a peer reviewed grant competition, an independent review must be solicited by the Research Services Office. Researchers must complete a Study Summary for Scientific Merit Review and may recommend two possible experts in the field as potential reviewers. The ACC review can only proceed once two favorable scientific merit reviews are received.
- Scientific Merit Review - Researcher Summary Form
- Scientific Merit Review - Reviewer Form
- Scientific Merit Review Guidelines and Process for Animal-Based Research (DRAFT)
CCAC policy statement on: scientific merit and ethical review of animal-based research
CCAC FAQs on Scientific Merit & Ethical Review of Animal-Based Research (May 2019)
The Vice-Provost, Academic and Research (VPAR) with the support of Research Ethics Coordinator will facilitate the scientific merit review process between the Principal Investigator, Peer Reviewers and YukonU ACC.
The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) provided new guidance materials (March 2022) intended to go beyond the traditional focuses of ensuring animal health and reducing the impact of scientific procedures performed on animals. They signify a shift in the understanding of what good animal welfare is, and how to promote it; good animal welfare is more than good health, and the welfare of animals used in science is impacted by more than just the procedures performed on them.
The revised CCAC policy: Certification of ethical animal care and use programs, include requirements to notify the CCAC of reportable animal welfare incidents within 14 days (2 weeks) of occurrence. This is intended help researchers, instructors, and animal care committee members better understand the overall impact of science on animal welfare by quantifying potential mortality related to any event or condition experienced by an animal. The requirement also supports institutions and animal care committees in having sound internal and external incident reporting mechanisms.
The following documents are available for the management of any CCAC reportable animal welfare incident:
- CCAC frequently asked questions: CCAC reportable animal welfare incidents
- CCAC policy: Certification of ethical animal care and use programs
- CCAC frequently asked questions: Certification of ethical animal care and use programs
- CCAC Reportable Animal Welfare Incident Initial Notification Form
- CCAC Reportable Animal Welfare Incident Form
Additional Information
Activities involving the care and use of animals in research and teaching involve particular health and safety risks not normally encountered in other activities. Individuals working with animals risk exposure to physical, chemical and biological hazards. All animal care and use, including laboratory and field studies require occupational health and safety program.
The degree of risk depends on:
- the nature of contact (direct or indirect) with animals, their tissues, excreta, body fluids, hair, animal cages, dander and
- the species involved
Occupational health and safety guidelines provide information and requirements for working safely with animals in the course of research and teaching.
This information should help you to understand:
- Roles and responsibilities
- Physical Hazards associated with animal care and use
- Animal behaviour and ways animals react or defend themselves, if a procedure causes pain, or they perceive their safety to be threatened;
- Relevant aspects of safe handling and performance of manipulations;
- Procedure for reporting animal related injuries;
- Proper waste disposal procedures;
- Zoonoses - recognize examples of animal infections that can be transmitted to humans;
Mandatory training is required for anyone planning activities involving animals for research and teaching. This training includes a module addressing health and safety requirements.