Guidelines for seeking ethics approval and clearance requirements

Writing the application | Dual clearance | Student research | Undergraduate teaching projects
Breeding Colony Establishment and Maintenance | Genetically Modified Organisms - Phenotype Report | Clinical Record Sheet | AEC Meeting Dates 

The South Australian Animal Welfare Act 1985 regulates all use of animals for teaching, research or experimentation in South Australia.

The University of Adelaide's licence under this Act authorises use of animals subject to the following conditions:

• the acquisition and use of animals for teaching or research must not commence before:
  • all information requested by the University of Adelaide AEC has been supplied, and
  • approval has been granted by the University of Adelaide AEC
• adequate care, housing and handling is maintained
• proper and adequate post-procedural care, including appropriate veterinary attention must be provided for the animals
• animals must be treated humanely and in accordance with the Act and Regulations and all procedures are to be carried out in accordance with the Australian code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes. The current 7th Edition 2004 is published by the National Health & Medical Research Council.

All use of animals by University personnel or holding of animals at University premises must be approved by the AEC before commencement. In this context, use and holding includes:

• the use or involvement of animals in research projects or experiments, irrespective of the site involved or the source of funding;
• the use of animals in undergraduate laboratory classes;
• holding, breeding or any other keeping of animals;
• fieldwork, including capture and release after marking.

Application for ethical approval is made using the University of Adelaide AEC online form. This includes specific guidelines for each section of the form.

AEC approval is required before animal holding space is allocated and before animals are supplied. Ethical approval of a project does not guarantee that the animals, or space for holding them, will be available. It is for the applicant to ensure this availability.

Writing the application

Written proposals should place before the AEC sufficient information to satisfy the AEC that the proposed use of animals is justified and complies with the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement.

Written proposals should be presented in a form that allows the AEC to easily assess information provided. They should be written in a manner that can be understood by all members of the AEC and must identify the impact of all sections of the proposal on animals used and means by which the impact will be minimised.

The application form seeks information from applicants in order to meet the requirements of the Australian code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes 7th Edition 2004 (refer to Proposals-general (2.2.15-2.2.16)). Applicants should be familiar with the contents of the Code before completing the application form.

The Animal Welfare Officer (AWO), Dr Denise Noonan (831 34107), will be pleased to provide veterinary advice and technical assistance. Applicants for ethical approval may find it useful to contact the AWO in the planning stages prior to submission to the AEC.

Please read the Application information before submitting an application for ethical approval to the AEC.

Dual clearance

University personnel located within other institutions must apply to the University's AEC as well as to the ethics committee of the other institution(s).

University degree candidates located within other institutions require ethical clearance by the University's AEC as well as the institutional committee at the place where research is conducted.

The University of Adelaide AEC online form is to be used for all applications.

Student research

In the case of a student project, the supervisor is to be the applicant with the student named as also involved. University degree candidates located at another institution require dual clearance (see above).

Undergraduate teaching projects

The application form is designed primarily in relation to research projects. It may not be entirely appropriate for a teaching submission but should be used as a guide to the details required for ethical consideration of the work. Additional procedures apply to applications involving use of animals for undergraduate teaching - refer to Use of animals in undergraduate teaching.

Please note that all proposals for animal use in teaching in which students are to interact with, or handle, animals or carry out a procedure on an animal must include details of:

1. the maximum number of students to be supervised by each teacher;
2. the minimum and maximum number of animals to be used by each student;
3. the maximum number of time each animal will be used; and
4. how the attainment of the educational objectives will be assessed.

In addressing (4) the AEC requires a clear statement of the educational objectives for the teaching exercise accompanied by an assessment which clearly supports the request to use animals i.e. disection skill, anatomical knowledge, etc.

Breeding Colony Establishment and Maintenance

Application for ethical approval to establish and maintain an animal breeding colony is made using the online AEC application form - with an Application for Ethical Approval to Establish and Maintain an Animal Breeeding Colony form provided as an attachment to the submission.

Application for Ethical Approval to Establish and Maintain an Animal Breeeding Colony 

The purpose of this form is to allow the AEC to be informed of the potential welfare implications of the animals you wish to introduce/breed. It also informs the AEC of the proportion of animals bred which are ultimately useful for your purpose (ie. the wastage rate). If the animals being bred are genetically modified, phenotype reporting is to be completed and submitted with the application. 

When a breeding colony of animals is permitted, animal production record-keeping and reporting requirements also apply.

Genetically Modified and Natural Mutant Animals - Phenotype Report 

When applying for animal ethics approval which includes the use of genetically modified (GM) or natural mutant animals, the Investigator should submit with their Application, a completed Phenotype Report.

For those situations where a new* colony, breed or strain of animal is proposed to be used, the AEC requires further information to be supplied on the phenotype once this is available. This will require timely submission of (1) an updated Phenotype Report that includes records of clinical observations made on a representative sample of the animals, using the (2) GM Animal Clinical Record Sheet and the (3) GM Litter Monitoring Sheet as appropriate. (*the genetically modified animal strain not previously been approved by the AEC) 

Following consideration of the information, the AEC may approve further use of the strain or may request a revision of the proposal.

In addition to the Phenotype Report, the requirement to promptly report unexpected occurrences of animal morbidity or mortality to the AEC applies to these projects.

When a breeding colony of animals is permitted, animal production record-keeping and reporting requirements also apply.

Further information on use of GM animals can be found in the NHMRC's Guidelines for the generation, breeding, care and use of genetically modified and cloned animals for scientific purposes 

Clinical Record Sheet for Animal Monitoring

Use of a Clinical Record Sheet is expected for most research involving animals. Please include an example as an attachment to your application. Clinical Record sheets should be tailored to the particulars of the project. Standard Clinical Record Sheets for Rats and Mice, Rats and Mice and Sheep are provided.

Use of Privately Owned Animals

Informed owner consent must be obtained for use of privately owned animals for teaching or research purposes. The AEC needs to receive a blank proforma of the owner consent form or forms proposed, including the information provided to owners in a variety of circumstances. Example or blank 'templates' of owner consent forms that can be tailored to best suit individual projects are given below.

Animal Owner Informed Consent Form - Use of Animals for Research

Animal Owner Informed Consent Form - Use of Animals for Teaching

AEC Meeting Dates

A new preview procedure effective from Go-Live on 12.12.12 supersedes use of submission deadline dates - these are no longer in place. Instead close off dates for posting of proposals to the AEC will be two weeks in advance of meetings. New online applications should be made well in advance of the published AEC meeting dates. Once completed you lodge electronically. An online preview procedure takes place BEFORE hard copies are printed and sent to the Research Branch. System generated emails will be sent to you regarding subsequent actions.

Late applications will be held till the next round of business.

Steps to completing the new web form (AEAWF)