Animal Care and Use
- Compliance & Safety
- Animal Care and Use
- Animal Care and Use
High-Quality Animal Care in Research & Teaching
UIUC provides high-quality care and promotes the health and well-being of animals used in research and teaching while ensuring the training and safety of our faculty, staff, and students.
Visit the Animal Care Website | Report an Animal Welfare Concern
Overseeing Animal Care
The following units share responsibility for the welfare of animals used in research and teaching.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
What IACUC Does:
- Inspects animal research facilities to ensure humane animal treatment.
- Prepares reports on inspections and makes improvement recommendations.
- Reviews complaints and concerns about animal care and use.
- Conducts ongoing reviews of animal care and use activities.
- Suspends non-compliant activities involving animals.
Animal Care Program (ACP)
What ACP Does:
- Ensures high-quality care and promotes the health and well-being of animals used in research and teaching.
- Provides training, educational resources, consultation, and technical assistance to faculty, students, and staff involved in the care and use of animals in research and teaching. This includes surgical techniques and more.
- Ensures compliance with laws, regulations, policies, guidelines, and professional standards related to the use of animals in research and teaching.
- Assists with research lab animal procurement.
- Manages research animal facilities.
- Provides administrative support for pharmaceutical needs and requirements for animal research.
- Provides business-related information such as per-diem rates for cage facilities.
Animal Care - Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
What OHS Does:
- Organizes mandatory training programs for principal investigators, research and animal care staff, veterinarians, maintenance and service workers, student employees using or caring for animals, and other staff needing access to animal facilities.
Popular Animal Care Resources
Looking for a specific guideline or form? We have new tools available to help you find what you are looking for.
Standards and Procedures
Search for specific standards and procedures to use in animal care in research.
Forms, Checklists, & Templates
Search for forms, checklists and templates that are commonly used in animal care and research.
Animal Care and Safety Training
Learn more about both the required training modules and optional specialty items.
Report Suspected Animal Mistreatment
Report any suspected non-compliance regarding animal care and use.
Animal Care and Use Training
Mandatory Training Requirements
- All individuals involved in research or teaching activities that use animals must complete the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) online training module Basic Training Program for Animal Users.
- The Animal Care and Use Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Program is also mandatory, and all participants must complete the Animal Care and Use Risk Assessment form on this site, which is used to evaluate the possible health risks due to animal exposures and occupational hazards.
- Depending on the project, participants may be required to follow the Division of Research Safety (DRS) Biological Safety Training.
Access to Training and Health Screening
The portal to access the mandatory programs and forms requires ID authentication. Access is restricted to University of Illinois faculty, students, staff, and authorized guest users. Contact the IACUC or OHS staff to set up a guest account. The training must be renewed every three years. Risk Assessment Forms must be updated if exposures have changed due to change in research and/or employment.
OHS participants with frequent or substantial contact with animals or work in the animal facilities are required to complete the confidential Health Screening Questionnaire, which will be used to identify potential additional risks. The Animal Care and Use Program medical reviewer will review the form and communicate information directly to the participant.
Questions? Contact Us
For assistance or additional training, contact the IACUC Office at 217-333-7789 or iacuc@illinois.edu. If you have questions about requirements, contact the unit that oversees the specific training. Note: the university has a number of additional training requirements not available through this website.