Ethics: Research with Animals

• Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC)
  
• Meeting date and submission deadline
• Application and report forms
• Legislation and guidelines
  
• Contacts
  

UWS complies with the Australian Code of Practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, the NSW Animal Research Act and its Regulations. In addition there are other Guidelines and Codes that must be complied with such as the Australian Agricultural Council Codes of Practice for Animal Welfare, and Guidelines issued by Gene Technology Regulator. Researchers wishing to work with native species must receive approval from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC)

All research or teaching exercises involving the use of animals must have the approval of the UWS Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC) before it can proceed.

The ACEC is a representative Committee made up of animal researchers, veterinarians, animal welfare representatives and independent members.

The ACEC has the responsibility to approve proposals (with or without modification) and provide ongoing monitoring of projects and animal holding facilities. By law the Committee is required to maintain accurate records on the use and disposal of any animals at UWS.

Researchers are encouraged to attend meetings of the ACEC in the initial presentation of protocols and Committee members value the input of researchers to enhance the effective functioning of the Committee.

As a general principle the ACEC accepts the use of animals in research and teaching providing there is:

1. a demonstrated educational or research benefit
2. no suitable alternatives available at the time eg. video
3. a minimum number of animals used
4. a demonstrated effort to minimise the likely impact on the welfare of the animals used.

Meeting date and submission deadline

Back to top

Application and report forms

Application Forms:

• Animal Ethics application form (Word, 299Kb) and Information Package (Word, 67Kb)
• Observational Field Research application form (PDF, 680Kb)
  
• Animal Research Authority (Word, 37Kb)
• Hints, tips and other information (PDF, 89Kb)

Report Forms:

• FORM L - Annual Returns for Animal Ethics
• Final/Progress Report (Word, 48Kb)
• Facility Inspection Report (Word, 72Kb)
• Project Inspection Report (Word, 70Kb)
• Animal Health Monitoring Sheet (Word, 49Kb)

Legislation and guidelines

• Australian code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes - National Health and Medical Research Council website
• Animal Research Act 1985 - Austlii website 
• Animal Welfare Committee - National Health and Medical Research Council website
• NSW Department of Primary Industries website
• Animal Welfare - NSW Department of Primary Industries
• Animal Ethics Infolink website
• NHMRC Guidelines on Monoclonal Antibody Production - National Health and Medical Research Council website
• Ethical Guidelines for Students using Animals and Animal Tissues for Educational Purposes (PDF, 64Kb)
• Guidelines for Amendments to Approved Animal Ethics Applications (PDF, 16Kb)
• Guidelines for Overseas Projects in Association with Australian Institutions (PDF, 8Kb)

Contacts

Contact Louise Fazekas the Ethics Officer (Animal & Biosafety) for help with and information on ACEC operating procedures, administrative queries, legislation, policies, guidelines pertaining to your project, forms to be submitted, amendments, extensions, reporting of adverse effects or unexpected deaths of animals and complaints.

The postal address is:

Louise Fazekas
Office of Research Services
Kingswood Campus, Building K
Locked Bag 1797
Penrith NSW 2751
Australia

Back to top