Background
The Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and Animal Welfare Act and Regulations emphasize the importance of training all personnel involved in animal care and use. Per the Guide, the institution should provide appropriate education and training to members of research teams to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and expertise for the specific animal procedures proposed and the species used[1].
Purpose
Principal investigators and all research team members who have contact with live animals for the purpose of research, testing, and/or teaching are required to participate in the UCLA animal user certification program (Program). The purpose of this Policy is to outline Program requirements for members of the research team who handle mice and/or rats. It provides the option for basic handling training to be provided by an experienced researcher, rather than by DLAM.
Responsibilities
Animal Research Committee (ARC)
The ARC is responsible for ensuring that individuals involved with animal care and use at UCLA are adequately qualified and trained to work with research animals; this responsibility is partially fulfilled through approval of animal users on an ARC protocol.
Animal Users
All research team members involved in animal care and use activities involving mice and/or rats are responsible for following this policy, which includes completing online and in-person training requirements as detailed below. Individuals performing procedures using animals must be identified in the animal use protocol, unless that individual is a member of the DLAM staff or a visiting scientist cleared by the ARC for animal procedures.
Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine (DLAM)
The DLAM Training Team is available to supplement training provided by the research team with hands-on courses ranging in scope from basic handling and simple injection techniques to advanced techniques and individualized surgical training. DLAM also assists by providing facility-specific training ("walk-throughs") in advance of granting animal user vivarium access. The Training Team is available to assist the PI in assessing whether an animal user needs specific or supplemental training.
Principal Investigator (PI)
The PI is responsible for determining whether research team members who are assigned animal care and use responsibilities are qualified through training or experience and to ensure those individuals are added to an approved ARC protocol prior to initiating research activities with animals. If training is determined to be necessary, the PI is responsible for ensuring the training is provided by an experienced researcher who is listed on an approved ARC protocol, or by DLAM, and for documenting said training.
Procedures
New research team members who will handle mice and/or rats must complete the following requirements prior to being approved on an ARC protocol:
| Course Name | Source | Frequency |
| Animal Research (General Certification Test) | CITI Program | Every three years |
|
Working with Mice in Research Settings |
CITI Program | Once each |
| DLAM Cage Side Communication Cards | Worksafe | Once |
| Identifying and Reporting Sick and Injured Rodents | Worksafe | Once |
| Rodent Euthanasia | Worksafe | Once |
| Medical History Questionnaire | Medical History Online Portal | Every three years |
| Species-specific ("hands on") training | PI/Lab by checklist or by DLAM staff from weekly workshops | Once |
Once approved on an ARC protocol, additional training may be required:
| For personnel who will conduct survival surgery | Source | Frequency |
| Aseptic online (basic) | CITI Program | Once, prior to wetlab |
| Aseptic Techniques wetlab | DLAM – register through Worksafe | One or more times, as needed |
| Before vivarium access can be granted by DLAM | ||
| Rodent Facility Access Training | Online in Worksafe | Once, prior to vivarium access |
| Barrier walkthrough | DLAM staff, scheduled in Worksafe | Once |
Completion of training performed by the PI/research team must be documented by the trainer and signed by the trainee and the PI. Records of such training must identify the scope of the training activity and include the date on which the activity was performed and/or proficiency verified. Records must be maintained in the laboratory for review during ARC inspections or as otherwise requested by the ARC. Completed records for basic mouse and rat training are to be emailed to arc@research.ucla.edu for recording in RATS.
Training documents for mouse and rat hands-on training by labs and additional training materials and resources are available here.
To access these files as a UCLA Health employee with a mednet account, you will need to select the "Not a part of University of California, Los Angeles" option when signing into Box.
Approved 4/21/25