Follow the IACUC Training Checklist to help facilitate the onboarding process for new animal users. Inexperienced researchers are also encouraged to complete hands-on training with HCCM. 

Visit the Forms & Submission page to learn more about the IACUC review process. 

This institution promotes the highest standards of animal care and use and expects all individuals privileged to use animals in research to treat them humanely and with the utmost respect for their psychological and physical health.

If you observe, or even suspect, animal abuse or regulatory non-compliance, then report it to institutional leadership to open an investigation. Visit the Wiki page for contact information.

The Office of the IACUC

This office is the administrative unit that supports the Harvard Medical Area Standing Committee on Animals to ensure animal research is held to the highest standards and carried out in accordance with regulatory requirements. The staff also serves the research community as a means to achieve quality research and uphold the institution’s commitment to improve human health.

The Harvard Medical Area Standing Committee on Animals

A variety of research activities on the Harvard Longwood Campus involve animals. Extensive effort is made to provide excellent care for animals used in research and minimize procedures that have potential for discomfort, distress or pain.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) oversee the responsible use of animals in research and instructional activities. The IACUC at this institution is named the Harvard Medical Area (HMA) Standing Committee on Animals and was founded in November 1907, nearly 60 years prior to the Animal Welfare Act. The committee reviews animal research proposals (i.e. protocols), reviews the animal care and use program, and monitors the animal facilities to ensure compliance with standards and regulatory requirements.

The institution's animal care and use program maintains accreditation and licensing with the following agencies:

  • AAALAC International
  • Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH)
  • Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)