Animal Care Committee
Saint Mary’s University Animal Care Committee
Welcome to the website of the Saint Mary's University (SMU) Animal Care Committee (ACC).
As required by the by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), SMU adheres to the high standards for animal ethics and care in research and education as set out by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC).
No research or animal-based learning activities by SMU students, faculty or staff involving the use vertebrates or high invertebrate animals (e.g. octopi) in the classroom, in controlled environments (e.g. laboratory) or wild settings (e.g. field/forest/ocean) may take place without the proper prior approvals by the SMU ACC. Any faculty, staff or students at SMU contemplating direct or indirect use of any animals or animal tissues in their research or teaching must check with the ACC Coordinator to determine if the animals/tissues fall under the policies and guidelines of the CCAC.
The links on this page will help researchers and educators at SMU navigate the application process for Animal Use Protocols (AUP) and Post-Application Monitoring (PAM).
For further information, contact animalcare@smu.ca or
Ms. Caila Henderson
Animal Care Coordinator
Atrium Building 210A
Phone: 902-491-6335
caila.henderson@smu.ca
Dr. Kevin Vessey
Acting Chair of the Animal Care Committee
Professor, Department of Biology
Atrium Building 309
Phone: 902-491-6608
kevin.vessey@smu.ca
SMU ACC Links
SMU ACC Policies, Processes and Programs
- SMU ACC Review Process
- SMU ACC Post Approval Monitoring Program
- SMU ACC Training Policy for ACC Members
- SMU ACC Training Policy for Researchers
- SMU ACC Policy for Reporting Animal Welfare Incidents
SMU ACC Forms
- AUPF - Amend-Renew - 2015
- AUPF - Fieldwork - 2015
- AUPF - Laboratory - 2015
- Incident Form 2016
- SMU ACC Study Closure Form
- SMU ACC SOP Template
- SMU ACC Teaching Appendix
- SMU ACC Animal Welfare Incident Report
SMU ACC Animal Use Protocol Submission Flowcharts
Select CCAC resources
- FAQ: Scientific Merit and Ethical Review of Animal-based Research
- FAQ: Pedagogical Merit Review of Animal-based Teaching and Training
- CCAC Categories of Invasiveness
- CCAC Categories of Invasiveness - Wildlife
- CCAC guidelines: Identification of scientific endpoints, humane intervention points, and cumulative endpoints
