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Animal Ethics

Obtaining Approval

Approval must be obtained from the Animal Care and Ethics Committee before animals are used for research and teaching purposes. Application for approval for the use of animals is made to the ACEC using the prescribed application forms.

• What form should you use?
• Download forms, guidelines and pro formas
• Submission Instructions 
• Meeting dates and application submission deadlines
• Pre-Review of draft applications PRIOR to submission
• Urgent consideration of a variation to an approved project 
• Useful Information for completion of forms:
  • Alternatives to animal use
  • Anaesthesia and analgesia
  • Blood collection
  • Collaborative research
  • Ethics of animal research
  • Monitoring of animal use
  • Peer review
  • Standard Operating Procedures
  • Teaching protocols
  • Wildlife research

What form should you use?

• Initial Application. For new projects, or as a "Repeat Initial Application" for a project entering its fourth year. Under NSW legislation, an Animal Research Authority may be issued for a maximum of one year.
• Renewal Application. For annual review and renewal of approval for an ongoing project. Approval may be renewed only twice via submission of a Renewal Application form. To continue ethics approval beyond three years, a Repeat Initial Application form is required.
• Variation Application - Addition of Person. To add an investigator or teacher to those authorised to use animals on an approved project.
• Variation Application - Changes to the approved protocol. For minor variations or amendments to an approved project only, ie. when the amendment to the approved protocol does not change the classification of the severity of the experiments, and where the ethical implications of the variation have already been considered as part of the Initial Application for the project.
• Observational Studies. To provide the ACEC with sufficient information to assess whether animal ethics approval is required for activities involving the observation of vertebrate animals. In many cases, the necessity for animal ethics approval is not clear.

A Final Report is required on completion or discontinuation of an approved project.

Information on requirements for completion of the application forms are contained in the guidelines. These are available as hidden text with the application form itself, and as a stand alone document. Applicants should read the guidelines carefully prior to completing an application.

To download Forms, Guidelines and Pro formas: Click here

Review of draft applications PRIOR to submission to the ACEC:

For review of your draft application prior to its submission, you must forward your draft application via email to the Animal Welfare Officer at least two weeks prior to the formal submission deadline for a meeting (see pre-review submission dates ). This will allow sufficient time for review and provision of comment, and for you to amend the application as necessary. Depending upon the load, review of draft application cannot be guaranteed.

Submission Instructions

1. Checklist before you submit:

• Have you used the current version of the application form?
• Have you answered every question?
• Have you used plain English?
• Have you completed, and appended, all relevant attachments or SOPs?
• Have you included relevant monitoring checklist(s)?
• Have you saved the application form and all attached relevant attachments and documents as a single document file for electronic submission?  (Note: The animal details spreadsheet may be submitted as a separate document.)

Additional checks for Initial applications:

• Have all persons involved with the use of animals on this project been identified in the application?
• For teaching protocols, have you included an "Evaluation Questionnaire"?
• For applications describing mandatory studies required by an external body, have you attached a copy of the documentation that supports the experimental design of your project?

2. To submit an application

Please submit ONE electronic copy of your full application via email to ACEC-Submissions@newcastle.edu.au. Identify in the covering email:

1. Project Title
2. Reference Number (if already assigned to the project)
3. Application Type (eg. Initial, 1st Renewal, 2nd Renewal, Variation - Protocol, Variation - Personnel, Repeat Initial).

The following conditions MUST be met when submitting applications:

• The electronic copy of your application MUST be submitted from the personal email of the named Chief Investigator or Alternate Chief Investigator, for the application. This process permits acceptance of the electronic document as a signed copy.
• Please note that an Honours or PhD student CANNOT be named as the Chief Investigator or Alternate Chief Investigator for an application.
• If submission from the personal email of the named Chief Investigator or Alternate Chief Investigator is not possible, the original application signed by the Chief Investigator or Alternate Chief Investigator MUST be provided by the submission deadline. Deliver/Mail to:   Research Office, The Chancellery, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan. NSW 2308.
• Application must be submitted by 4:00 pm on the closing date for the relevant meeting.

Late applications will NOT be accepted for the meeting, and will be deferred to the following meeting for consideration.

2008 Meeting dates and application submission deadlines:

Urgent consideration of a variation to an approved project

Urgent consideration of a variation to an approved project is considered only in special circumstances which are usually based upon animal welfare grounds (eg. the welfare of an animal is at risk if the amendment is not instituted prior to the next meeting of the ACEC). If urgent consideration is required:

1. Complete the appropriate Variation Application form.
2. Ensure that clear reasons for the necessity for urgent consideration of the proposed amendment are outlined in the application.
3. It is strongly recommended that you contact the Animal Ethics Officer in the first instance to advise of the circumstances and discuss the necessity for urgent consideration.
4. Submit the application as per normal procedures.