Any use of animals by Mount Sinai faculty in research and teaching must first be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). As a part of the review process, the committee must determine that the principal investigator has met the information requirements of the USDA Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and regulations interpreting that act. The USDA Animal Care Resource Guide Policy #12 (PDF) requires:

That the investigator provide a written narrative description of the methods and sources used to consider alternatives to procedures that may cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress to the animals; and

The written assurance that the activities do not unnecessarily duplicate previous experiments.

The USDA states that database searches are the best method to demonstrate compliance. This guide informs researchers of specific requirements, suggests search strategies and provides access to databases to meet the AWA's information requirements. Our guide to Sources for Information about Animal Testing Alternatives has more information about seeking animal testing alternatives, especially in highly specialized fields. For information about submitting proposals and obtaining approval for animal use, please contact IACUC. To learn more about database searching, follow the links below: