Mission Statement

Yale University is committed to conducting quality animal research in an ethical and responsible manner to further science and to improve the health of society.

Yale University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for reviewing all protocols involving live vertebrate animals, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, inspecting animal facilities and laboratories and overseeing training and educational programs. The overall role of the IACUC is to ensure the humane and sensitive care and use of research animals.

The Yale IACUC is committed to ensuring that the approval of all animal research takes into consideration the possible replacement of animals, the refinement of studies to alleviate or minimize potential pain and maximize the comfort and welfare of the animals, and the possible reduction in the number of animals necessary to obtain valid scientific data.*

The  IACUC serves as a resource for investigators, staff, and administrators using of live vertebrate animals in research and teaching. It ensures that animal use is conducted in accordance with the highest scientific, humane, and ethical principles and is in compliance with regulations. The IACUC also ensures that housing conditions and care are species-appropriate and occur in an environment that is safe and secure for both animals and staff.

The IACUC is governed by applicable Federal and State regulations, including those of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), Public Health Service (PHS), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is guided by the U.S. Government Principles for the Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research and Training.

*Attributed to W.M.S. Russell and R.L. Burch