Aerial view of the 91次元 campus and buildings around UM's Oval in Missoula, MT.

Research Compliance and Tech Transfer

Animal Transfer and Reuse for Research or Instruction

Policy Number: IACUC-POL-032 

Responsible Office: Office of Research and Creative Scholarship (ORCS) 

Applies to: Principal Investigators Conducting Animal Research or All animal research and teaching protocols involving live vertebrate animals 

1. Purpose

The 91次元 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) endorses the ethical and humane use of animals in research and instruction. A fundamental principle of ethical animal use is the application of the Three R’s—Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction—as described by Russell and Burch. 

The IACUC supports Reduction, which involves minimizing the number of animals used in research without compromising scientific integrity. Strategies include improving statistical models, reducing variability, and, when appropriate, considering animal transfer or reuse. However, animal welfare must always take priority, and reuse should not increase pain or distress. 

This policy outlines: 

  • When animal transfer or reuse is appropriate within or across protocols. 
  • The process for obtaining approval for transfer or reuse. 
  • Ethical and regulatory considerations to ensure compliance with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and Public Health Service (PHS) Policy. 

Ethical Considerations: 

  • The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals states that Reduction and Refinement must be balanced on a case-by-case basis. Animal welfare is the highest priority, and reuse should never compromise well-being. 
  • Principal investigators are strongly discouraged from advocating animal reuse solely as a reduction strategy if it increases pain or distress. Any reuse must be scientifically justified and approved through proper IACUC review. 

2. General Guidelines

The IACUC may approve the transfer or reuse of animals under the following conditions: 

  • Minimal pain or distress: The animal was used in activities deemed minimally invasive (e.g., breeding, non-survival surgery, postmortem tissue collection). 
  • Cumulative pain/distress is minimized: The new protocol does not significantly increase potential discomfort. 
  • Appropriate scientific justification: The reuse aligns with the principles of the 3 R’s and is necessary for the research objectives.  

Transfers and reuses must be documented and approved to ensure compliance with federal regulations. 

3. Requirements for Animal Transfer and Reuse

Reuse Within a Single Protocol 

Animal reuse within the same protocol must be described in the original Animal Use Protocol (AUP). The AUP must specify: 

  • The number and type of experimental procedures the animal will undergo. 
  • Justification for reuse and steps to minimize distress. 
  • If reuse was not originally included in the AUP, an amendment must be submitted and approved before reuse occurs. 

Reuse Across Protocols (Animal Transfers) 

  • Protocol-to-protocol transfers must be approved before the transfer occurs. 
  • Approval requires review by the Attending Veterinarian (AV) or IACUC Manager to ensure: 
    • Animals will not be subjected to excessive pain or distress. 
    • Previous and planned procedures are fully documented. 
    • The AV or IACUC Manager may refer the request to the full IACUC if needed. 

4. Guidance on When Animals Can or Cannot Be Reused 

Animals May Be Reused If: 
  • They have undergone no procedures beyond standard identification or genotyping. 
  • They were involved in minimal pain/distress procedures (Pain Category C). 
  • They were previously used for breeding without invasive procedures. 

Animals May Not Be Reused If: 

  • They have undergone procedures that permanently alter normal physiology. 
  • They have a medical abnormality causing more than minimal distress. 
  • They have had a research-related surgical procedure. 
  • They were exposed to biohazards or chemical hazards posing safety risks. 
  • They underwent an invasive procedure but may be reused for non-survival training under an approved protocol. 

Animals Absolutely Cannot Be Reused If: 

They are USDA-covered animals that have undergone multiple major survival surgeries for unrelated studies (per federal regulations). 

5. Oversight and Review

Protocol-to-protocol transfers (unless pre-approved in the AUP) require approval from the Attending Veterinarian, IACUC Manager, or designee. 

Transfers of unused animals, retired breeders, or surplus offspring to pre-approved research protocols do not require additional review. 

All transfers and approvals must be documented and retained in institutional records. 

6. Procedure 

  1. If animals are being transferred between investigators or to a protocol not listed on the current IACUC-approved protocol for transfer (e.g., from one experimental protocol to another), prior review and approval from the Attending Veterinarian (AV) or IACUC Manager is required before the transfer can occur. 
  2. Complete the Animal Transfer Form and submit it to the AV, IACUC Manager, or LAR Facility Manager for review. 
  3. New cage cards must be generated for the transferred animals. 
  4. The LAR Facility Manager or IACUC Manager will update the receiving protocol by subtracting the total number of transferred animals. 

If Approval Prior to Transfer is Required: 

  • The completed Animal Transfer Form must be provided to the LAR Manager or designated personnel. 
  • Allow a minimum of 24 hours for approval to be granted. 
  • Approval will be confirmed via email before the transfer is finalized. 

7. References

  1. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NRC, 2010). 
  2. Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching (Ag Guide, 2020). 
  3. Animal Welfare Regulations, 9 CFR, Chapter I, Subchapter A. 
  4. Fentener van Vlissingen, J.M. – The Reuse of Animals for Research – A Humane Endpoint? 
  5. Silverman, J. – One Animal, Two Protocols – An Appropriate Application of the 3 R’s (2007). 
  6. Silverman, J. – Collaborative Studies and Animal Reuse. Lab Animal (2008) 

8. Review, Approval and Version History

Review and approval version history for this policy

Version 

Date 

Description of Changes 

Approved By 

1.0 

November 2, 2022 

Initial policy creation 

IACUC Committee 

2.0 

April 8, 2025 

Updated procedures for compliance 

IACUC Committee