Training
It is the responsibility of Texas A&M to assure that all personnel involved in the care, treatment, and use of animals in research and teaching are qualified to perform their duties and are aware of regulations and requirements applicable to their work with animals.
As part of the IACUC Animal Use Protocol (AUP) approval process, principal investigators must document the training and experience of their personnel. Additionally, the IACUC expects all animal program participants to complete the requirements outlined in TAMU-G-029 Guidelines for Animal Protocol Participation and Handling.
Training/Enrollment Requirements
All animal program participants must complete training and enrollment relevant to their job or participation on an animal use protocol. Please note: Not all training listed below is required for every participant. See TAMU-G-029 for more information or contact the Animal Welfare Office staff at (979) 845-1828 or animalcompliance@tamu.edu for assistance in determining training requirements and timeline for completion.
Basic required training/enrollment:
- Biosafety & Occupational Health Program (BOHP) enrollment
- CITI course: Working with the IACUC
Activity dependent training:
- CITI courses:
- Species specific course(s)
- Aseptic Surgery (may be replaced by IACUC authorized live training)
- BOHP Animal Allergen Training (TrainTraq)
- Waste Anesthetic Gas Scavenging Training (TrainTraq)
- Lab, facility, or PI specific training
- Other training as identified by the IACUC.
New PI Orientation:
New Principal Investigators or PIs new to TAMU are asked to participate in an orientation session designed to introduce researchers to animal compliance at TAMU. The New PI Orientation session must be completed before submissions can be submitted for IACUC review. Please contact the Animal Welfare Office staff at (979) 845-1828 or animalcompliance@tamu.edu to schedule a session.
Timing of Training/Enrollment Completion for AUP Participation:
Required raining/enrollment must be completed before the AUP can be approved or individual participant can be listed on the AUP. See Approval Process for Research/Teaching with Animals: Documentation Needed.
Registering for CITI Courses:
CITI is a web-based ethics-training site utilized by Texas A&M for those individuals involved in the animal care and use program. More detailed instructions on how to register for CITI courses is available in PDF format.
- Go to www.citiprogram.org
- Step 1: Select “Texas A&M University” as your participating institution.
- Step 2: Your username and password are unique to you. Hint: Do not use your NetID and Password.
- Step 3: Your preferred email must be the same email that is listed in iRIS. Your secondary email is optional and can be your private email account.
- Step 4: You will not be receiving CME/CEU credits for the IACUC course.
- Step 5: The CITI Lab Animal Welfare Course Curriculum. Please select applicable courses as indicated in TAMU-G-029:
- Working with the IACUC
- Activity dependent courses as applicable:
- Aseptic Surgery
- Species specific course(s)
- Working with the IACUC
- Step 6: Once registration is complete, you will see the CITI main menu listing your enrolled courses. Enter each course to complete the required modules and exams. Note: Users must pass each required module with at least an 80% score to pass the course.
CMP Laboratory Animal Care and Use Training Program
The Comparative Medicine Program (CMP) Animal Care and Use Training Program at Texas A&M was established to help provide training, instruction, and information about laboratory animal care and use to teaching and research personnel. The program is available to Texas A&M and Texas A&M AgriLife faculty, instructors, scientists, technicians, graduate students, undergraduate students, and other personnel involved in animal care and use. Records of attendance and participation in training activities are maintained on an individual basis by the IACUC office and the attending veterinarian. Attendance at sessions offered by the Animal Care and Use Training Program should be listed on AUP forms when listing qualifications, training, and experience of personnel.
Training Opportunities
PI Training
Enrichment and Single Housing
For PIs & research personnelWe will be learning about animal enrichment types and documentation requirements for group or single-housed animals in protocol and IACUC inspections.
Analgesia
For PIs & research personnelOur session will include a review of IACUC Guidance for both surgical and non-surgical pain management as well as a thorough examination of relevant areas of the protocol form.
Animal Records
For PIs & research personnelJoin us for an overview of the various records required for animal care and use at Texas A&M University and AUP resources for building a culture of compliance.
Experimental Design Workshop
For PIs & research personnelIs your AUP a head-scratcher? Check the experimental design section! In this workshop we will first cover how to construct a successful experimental timeline for your AUP and then work through examples (including yours!) together. We will also have a demonstration of some AI resources for creating/editing AUP content.