IACUC Training

All individuals involved in research, teaching, training, and production using live vertebrate animals must undergo training. Appropriate standard training by qualified personnel is mandated by federal regulations.

Mandatory Training for All Personnel on an IACUC Protocol

Personnel must be approved to work under a protocol prior to working with animals per WSU IACUC Policy #20. Please follow the Personnel Addition Instructions to submit an amendment for your Animal Subject Approval Form (ASAF) on MyResearch to add personnel. The Animal Welfare Program (AWP) Office processes these amendments administratively.

All personnel must complete training regarding the use of animals in research or teaching prior to being approved onto an ASAF. WSU’s IACUC training addresses the minimum federal requirements through these mandatory courses, which are outlined below.

Principles of Animal Care (PAC)

This course provides the necessary beginning information regarding the ethics and use of animal species models for research and teaching. All individuals listed on active protocols must complete this training. After completion of the initial course, a refresher course must be completed every 3 years by all active personnel.

This training is available online at AALAS Learning Library, and personnel must be enrolled by the AWP office in order to access it via WSU’s portal. To enroll, please email Animal Welfare Program or call at (509) 335-5353.

Occupational Health Training—Animals (OHT-A)

This course provides risk assessment and health protection information for personnel working with animals and must be completed by all individuals listed on an active protocol. As a part of the course, personnel must review species-specific zoonoses modules. However, personnel are only required to take the zoonoses trainings for the species associated with the protocols they will be working under. Retraining must be completed by active personnel every 3 years.

To access OHT-A training in MyResearch, go to Compliance > IACUC > OHT-A Training. More detailed instructions can be found here.

*MyResearch is accessed using your WSU login information. If you have difficulty accessing MyResearch, please contact your home department’s fiscal manager/analyst.

*Individuals completing the OHT-A training have the option to participate in a free medical evaluation. Individuals simply need out fill out a health history and animal contact questionnaire and then a physician will conduct a health evaluation and risk assessment based on the individual’s health history and species contact. Currently, WSU is partnered with Providence in Spokane, WA to conduct the assessments. All medical questionnaires will be securely mailed to Providence and returned with recommendations typically within 15 business days of submission. Results may include recommendations for immunizations, preventative care, and medical advice. The cost for the medical evaluation services are covered by the university and is therefore free to the individual. All individuals working with animals are encouraged to enroll. Please view IACUC Policy #38 for additional information on this process.

**If you are wanting to view the medical evaluation animal contact questionnaire ahead of time, a pdf can be accessed here. However, please note that this is only an example. If you’re wanting to officially submit a medical questionnaire for review, then you must access the OHT-A training on MyResearch and agree to participate in the medical evaluation program to complete an online version of the questionnaire.

Non-WSU Personnel

Non-WSU personnel can be added to protocols the same way as WSU personnel, and must complete PAC and OHT-A Training.

Due to being unable to access MyResearch, non-WSU personnel complete training for OHT-A differently. After submitting the request to add a Non-WSU personnel via MyResearch, the AWP Office will contact the personnel via email with instructions and an OHT-A form. The OHT-A training is completed by reading the required zoonoses and signing this form.

*Non-WSU personnel that have completed similar training at their home institution may be exempt from WSU IACUC trainings.  Please have your institution contact the AWP Office with your training credentials if this applies to you.

Mandatory Training for Surgical Procedures

Aseptic Surgical Technique (AST)

Aseptic Surgical Technique training requirement applies to any personnel that will perform survival surgery on animals. This is indicated by marking the role “Surgery” on the ASAF for each personnel that will perform surgeries. This role can be added to personnel at any time by submitting an amendment for the corresponding ASAF. The training contains both an online (AST-O) and hands-on (AST-H) component, and personnel must complete both components prior to being approved to perform surgery.

  1. Aseptic Surgical Technique Online (AST-O)

AST-O is an online course offered on the WSU portal of AALAS Learning Library website that gives an overview of proper, aseptic surgical techniques. To enroll, please email Animal Welfare Program.

This training is required prior to approval for personnel marked as performing surgery on an ASAF, and it is a prerequisite for enrolling in the hands-on surgery workshop (AST-H).

**Board-certified surgeons working within their specialty may be exemption from this training. Please contact the Animal Welfare Program to request an exemption**

  1. Aseptic Surgical Technique- Hands-on (AST-H)

AST-H is a hands-on workshop offered by the Office of the Campus Vet that provides in-person training for proper aseptic surgical techniques. Researchers with surgical experience may request an observational assessment of surgical procedure in place of the AST-H workshop.

To enroll,  please view the schedule at OCV Hands-on Training webpage and contact the Office of the Campus Vet at (509) 335-6246.

AST-H must be completed prior to the personnel performing surgery.

**DVM, LVT, MD, and RN may be exempt from this training. Please contact the Office of the Campus Vet to request an exemption**

Mandatory Training for Satellite Housing Locations

Satellite Animal Housing Location Training (SAHLT)

This training is required per WSU IACUC Policy #1 for Principal Investigators that manage their own animal housing areas and any personnel listed on their ASAFs with the “Husbandry” role. Any area where WSU animals are housed for more than 12 hours is considered an Animal Housing area. This training is required as part of the approval process for those who fall under Policy #1.

SAHLT is an online course offered on the WSU portal of AALAS Learning Library website. To enroll in the online course, please contact the Animal Welfare Program at (509) 335-5353.

**Hands-on training on the Animal Care Plan for your satellite location must be documented by the Campus Veterinarian, PI or designee. Please contact the Office of the Campus Vet at (509) 335-6246 if you have any questions.

Other Training

OCV Hands-on training

The Office of the Campus Veterinarian (OCV) offers comprehensive hands-on training for investigators, post docs, students, and staff. Please see the Hands-on Training Workshops Page for additional details and contact the Office of the Campus Vet at (509) 335-6246 if you have any questions.

CITI training

Species specific training and other courses are available for free online on CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) training program (click on “Register” in the top right of the CITI website to enroll as Washington State University personnel.). The online courses complement hands-on training. The IACUC offers a list of suggested training modules.

Additionally, all personnel working in research are required by the Office of Research to complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) on CITI. Instructions on how to access this training can be found here.

AALAS Learning Library additional training

Species specific training and other courses are available online on the AALAS Learning Library. To enroll in the WSU portal, please contact the Animal Welfare Program. All courses available in the WSU portal are free and complement hands-on training. It is highly recommended to take courses that might apply to you.

New PI orientation

Investigators new to the institution and working with live vertebrate animals are encouraged to attend an introductory orientation with the Animal Welfare Program. This orientation will provide the PI with information regarding the functioning of WSU IACUC, processes, and policies. This is a friendly and cordial introduction to the IACUC and is an opportune time to have all your questions regarding the process answered. The new PI orientation is scheduled at the convenience of the PI and is conducted over Zoom.

New animal manager training

New animal managers are strongly encouraged to complete the online training for understanding the functions and responsibilities of their position. To access the online Animal Manager Training, log into MyResearch and go to Training > Available training. Please contact the Animal Welfare Program if you have any questions or issues.

Compassion fatigue training for caregivers

Animal Caregiver Training (ACT) is available for all animal caregivers. This training is essential to understand the cumulative toll that this role takes on individuals who care for animals. This information sheet provides the overview. You are strongly encouraged to read Dr. Phyllis Erdman’s Compassion Fatigue training presentation, which addresses issues surrounding care-giving for animals in teaching and research settings. If you experience any of the feelings described, please feel free to use the resources at the end of the presentation.

If you do not see listed a training program that is required by your lab, please contact the Animal Welfare Program with your requirements. Other types of training can be provided if specific labs require it. If you have a need that is not being currently addressed in any of the programs offered, please contact the Animal Welfare Program or OCV.