ACUCAll institutions conducting research with vertebrate animals are required to comply with various regulations and policies, both federal and local.
The Animal Welfare Act is a law covering species used in research other than rats, mice, and birds. The campus is subject to inspections by veterinary medical officers from the United States Department of Agriculture to assure our compliance with the regulations.
For research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the policies of the Public Health Service (PHS) apply. More specifically, the Office for Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) of the PHS requires institutions to establish and maintain proper measures to ensure the appropriate care and use of all animals involved in research, training, and biological testing activities financially supported by PHS. Further, the research is evaluated against the standards established in the “Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” which covers institutional polices, animal environment and housing, veterinary care, and the facilities.
Both the USDA and the PHS mandate that an animal care and use committee ( ACUC ) be established. At Cal Poly Pomona the ACUC is charged with the responsibility of assuring that research projects on campus are in compliance with all applicable regulations. Among other things, this means the review of animal study proposals, oversight of the program, and inspections of areas housing and using laboratory animals.
The animal care and use program at Cal Poly Pomona is also recognized by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALAC). AAALAC visits the campus every three years to accredit our program. Having accreditation is favorable when seeking funding for research projects and biomedical investigations involving laboratory animals. The Principal Investigator shall notify the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs in cases when animals will be used in their funded research projects and so that a study proposal can be written.
AAALAC: www.aaalac.org
USDA: http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/usdaleg1.htm
PHS: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm
the ILAR Guide: Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 1996 (PDF)
the ILAR Guide: 2011 version 
