About Animal Care A-Z
At the University of Michigan, all guidance documents – including policies, guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), forms, and many informational resources – pertaining to the Animal Care & Use Program are housed on the Animal Care A-Z website.
Documents are updated on a regular basis to maintain consistency with all applicable rules and regulations governing animal research. These updates also include an extensive review of new and existing literature to ensure alignment with standard best practices in veterinary medicine and laboratory animal care.
Generally speaking, Animal Care & Use Program documents fall into one of five categories:
Policies: High-level program plan(s) that outline the general goals and acceptable procedures for a department. Animal care and use policies are approved and reviewed by the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC). Diverging from an IACUC-approved policy is considered non-compliance unless appropriate scientific justification has been reviewed and approved by the IACUC.
Guidelines: Suggested parameters and sets of instructions outlining best practices and standards for accomplishing specific animal care and use duties. Guidelines may be approved by the IACUC if they are integral to U-M processes (e.g., necessary for protocol review). These documents typically contain options for the audience to use when performing research duties (i.e., exceptions are often built into the language). Study Teams should consult with their ULAM Faculty Veterinarian and/or the Animal Care & Use Office before diverging from a guideline to avoid potential non-compliance.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Step-by-step, detailed descriptions of how specific animal care and use procedures are performed. Many SOPs include forms, records, or other documents relating to the procedure. SOPs may be specific to each laboratory as they often describe specific research-related tasks. Deviation from an SOP is not considered IACUC non-compliance.
Informational Resources: Informational tools and resources, including Quick Reference Documents and Helpful Information Sheets, to guide researchers through a variety of specific tasks pertaining to animal care and use.
Forms: Documents needed to complete daily animal care and use research operations. Forms often require individuals to input data or information into a standardized template that may then be shared or distributed to other units and/or individuals within the Animal Care & Use Program.
Built with ease of use in mind, the Animal Care A-Z website offers many features:
- Search and sort all program documents by topic (e.g., surgery, husbandry, anesthesia and analgesia, etc.), species, and/or document type
- Pre-sorted lists of most recently updated and most viewed documents
- Color-coding that corresponds to each document type and help text that explains the purpose and intended use of each document
- Standardized document formatting, including:
- Related glossary terms
- Jump links directly to relevant content for quick access to key information
- Date/time stamps denoting document approval dates
- Contact information for the unit(s) that maintain the document
- A list of related documents and resources
- Enhanced readability via embedded tables, charts, and images
- Printer-friendly versions of all documents and the ability to email document links at the click of a button
- Document update banners that highlight when a document has been updated, summarize key changes, and outline how the changes may impact the U-M research community
Personalize your A-Z website:
Logging in to the site with valid U-M login credentials allows you to further customize documents and resources:
- Bookmark frequently used documents
- Sort bookmarks by Last Updated Date
- Save and rename a custom A-Z search (e.g., find all documents related to anesthesia and analgesia in mice)
- Please note: You may also need to log in to view some documents. Access to protected documents requires valid U-M login credentials and listing on a currently approved animal use protocol.
We understand that staying apprised of the latest rules and regulations governing animal care and use can, at times, be challenging. We are confident that the tools and resources available through the Animal Care A-Z website will help minimize this burden by simplifying access to the information needed to ensure the highest animal welfare standards in the conduct of responsible research at the University of Michigan.
Questions?
General questions, concerns, or feedback about the Animal Care & Use Program’s A-Z website should be directed to [email protected].