Mission Statement

The mission of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is to assure the well-being and proper care of all vertebrate animals used for research and educational purposes at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), and to serve the public by ensuring institutional compliance with all legal and ethical standards regarding the use of animals in research. In addition, the IACUC is engaged in assisting animal research investigators with their animal-related needs.

Why must we have an IACUC?

All institutions that use vertebrate animals for research, teaching, research training and biological testing are required to create an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to oversee and evaluate all aspects of the institution's animal care and use program. The IACUC is a self-regulating body mandated by two Federal agencies and the regulations and policies they are charged with enforcing: 1.) the Animal Welfare Act and its amendments, which are administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and 2.) the Health Research Extension Act and its amendments, which are administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).

Who sits on the IACUC?

The IACUC must be comprised of a minimum of five members including a veterinarian with special knowledge of laboratory animal medicine who has prescribed program responsibilities; a scientist experienced in laboratory animal procedures; a non-scientist; and a non-affiliated member (a person who has no affiliation with the university other than being a member of the IACUC and who represents general community interest in proper animal care). The UTSA IACUC is comprised of 7 voting members with the qualifications listed above, a non-voting member who supervises the Animal Care Program, and an Ex Officio, non-voting member from the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance at UTSA.

What are the responsibilities of the IACUC?

The responsibilities of the IACUC include, but are not limited to the following list.
The IACUC will:
1. Inspect all of the animal facilities, including animal study areas and satellite facilities at least once every six months.
2. Review the Animal Care Program for the utilization of animals in research at least once every six months.
3. Review and approve, require modifications to, or withhold approval of animal care and use protocols.
4. Review and investigate legitimate concerns involving the care and use of laboratory animals raised by the public, employees or students.
5. Suspend animal use activities if non-compliance is verified; take corrective action and report both the non-compliance and the corrective action taken to the Institution al Official and funding agencies.