What is the main purpose of the IACUC?

The main purpose of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is to ensure the ethical treatment of animals used in research and teaching. This committee is responsible for overseeing and evaluating the institution’s animal care and use program, ensuring that all practices comply with federal regulations and ethical standards. The IACUC evaluates research proposals to ensure that the study design minimizes animal pain and distress, and it also assesses whether alternatives to animal use have been considered. By having this oversight, the IACUC fosters humane care and use of animals, which is critical for maintaining ethical standards in research and advancing scientific integrity.

Other choices do not align with the primary focus of the IACUC. Managing grant funds, assessing project feasibility, and handling complaints regarding funding are not core functions of the IACUC, which is distinctly focused on animal welfare and ethical considerations related to their use in research.