IACUC Membership
- Chair
- Veterinarian
- Institutional Official
- Coordinator
- Members
According to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare of the Public Health Service, the IACUC must consist of at least 5 members who are appointed by the institution's chief executive officer (IO). If the IO delegates appointment authority, the delegation must be specific and in writing.
The appointed members must be qualified through experience and expertise to provide oversight for the institution's animal programs, facilities, and procedures. At a minimum, the IACUC must include a veterinarian, a practicing scientist experienced in animal research, a person whose primary concerns are in nonscientific areas, and a person who is unaffiliated with the institution except as a member of the IACUC (sometimes referred to as a public member). An individual who qualifies to fill more than one of the specified categories may be appointed to do so, but the committee must still consist of at least 5 members.
The unaffiliated member should have no discernable ties or ongoing affiliation with the institution, and may not be a member of the immediate family of a person who is affiliated with the institution. Immediate family includes parent, spouse, child and sibling. Appointment of an individual who is unambiguously unaffiliated is the best way to fulfill the letter and spirit of this provision. PHS Policy incorporates the Guide, which does not permit the nonaffiliated member to be a laboratory animal user. The veterinarian on the IACUC must have direct or delegated program responsibility for animal-related activities and therefore is always considered to be affiliated with the institution.
The CSUEB IACUC is composed of numerous voting members in accordance with the above OLAW guidelines, as well as ex officio members representing environmental health and safety, the Office of Research and Professional Development, and the Committee on Research.