Animal Care and Use
UMass Boston is a teaching and research institution which supports the responsible use of animals in research. UMass Boston holds an Assurance with the Public Health Service that articulates our compliance with all government agencies regulating the use of laboratory animals in research and teaching.
As an institution, we adhere to the belief that the development of knowledge necessary for the improvement of health and well-being of humans, as well as other animals, requires in vivo experimentation with a wide variety of animal species. We are proactively committed to the humane care and use of animals in research as well as the reduction and replacement of animals and the refinement of procedures in both teaching and research wherever possible.
All proposed research and teaching activities involving the use of vertebrate animals requires review and approval by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). This includes the use of animals housed and maintained in approved university animal facilities as well as studies conducted on vertebrate animals in their natural settings. Once approved by the IACUC, any proposed modifications to an approved protocol require further review and approval by the IACUC prior to implementation.
