Ever since its establishment by USDA regulation in the mid-1980s, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) has evolved as the premier instrument of animal welfare oversight within research institutions in the United States. As biomedical research continuously grows, the role and impact of the IACUC has increased in scope and complexity. The IACUC Handbook has become "the Bible" for individuals when the time comes for them to serve on their institution’s IACUC. It provides a foundation for understanding and implementing the many and varied responsibilities of this committee.

This Fourth Edition comprehensively addresses the significant changes in the pertinent regulatory environment and interpretation of applicable federal laws, regulations, and policies. It includes modifications to regulations, as well as best practices, and new chapters on basic IACUC operations; animals used in agricultural research and teaching; invertebrates; pandemic and disaster planning; the Pacific Rim ethical review framework; operational communications and workflow; reduction of regulatory burden; and research reproducibility and role of the IACUC. It also adds new authors and editors widely respected in the field.

An essential resource for IACUC members, university administrators and compliance personnel, laboratory animal veterinarians, and scientific investigators whose work involves animal research, this new edition ensures the book's continued acceptance as the standard reference in the field.

Chapter 39 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons (CC-BY) 4.0 license.