Animal research ethics

All research on animals conducted on Curtin campuses or by Curtin students or staff must be approved by the Curtin Animal Ethics Committee before it can commence. Non-compliance with this requirement represents research misconduct, which will be investigated.

Observational studies

Studies are considered observational where animals are studied in their natural habitat.

Studies are not considered observational if:

Animals are taken out of their natural habitat even for a short period of time.
Animals are to be trapped.
Animals are baited to observe behaviour.
The animals’ natural habitat is disturbed.
Animals are approached in a manner that may induce stress to the animal.

If your study is an observational study you need to complete the Observational Study Ethics Application form in InfoEd.

Teaching studies

Teaching studies are considered as any action or group of actions undertaken with the aim of achieving a scientific purpose, where the scientific purpose is imparting or demonstrating knowledge or techniques to achieve an educational outcome in science, as specified in the relevant curriculum or competency requirements.

If your study is a teaching study you need to complete the Research/Teaching Ethics Application form in InfoEd.

Research studies

Maintaining your approval

To stay compliant with ethics approval and ensure ongoing approval of a research study, all existing applications must:

Submit an annual progress report on the anniversary of the ethics approval (your project will be approved for an additional 12 months).
Submit an annual animal use report.
Submit an amendment form when there is a change in protocol and/or number of animals.
Submit a form to change or add an investigator.
Submit a completion report on completion of the research.

Log into InfoEd to submit animal use, annual and completion reports, make changes to the project (through an amendment request) and submit information on reportable events.

Annual Progress Report

Each year during the life of a project on the anniversary of the animal ethics approval, the Chief Investigator must submit the completed Annual Progress Report to the Curtin Ethics Office. The report should contain:

What progress has been made to date and whether the project is meeting its aims;
Any issues that may have interfered with progress of the project;
How many animals have been used; and
Whether the wellbeing of the animals is consistent with that anticipated in the proposal.

Annual Animal Use Report

This report must be submitted each calendar year. The Chief Investigators will report on the number of animals used for the 12 month period ending on 31 December. This is a legislative government requirement that applies to all registered institutions and investigators working for these institutions that have used animals during the year (applies to ongoing and completed projects within WA, interstate and overseas).

The deadline for submitting the report is 20 February the following year.

Amendments

If your study is changed in any way you must submit an amendment request. Amendments to the protocol must not be acted on until approval has been given by the Animal Research Office.

Examples of protocol amendments are:

Change in the primary hypothesis
Change to the design of the study
Additional outcomes or exposures
Change in definition to the study population (increased or decreased numbers, change in species etc.)
Extension of time periods
Additional analysis (statistical or biological) that are not part of the main findings
Any other deviation from the originally approved study protocol.

Change or addition of investigator

Curtin students and staff must be approved by the Animal Ethics Committee prior to working with animals.

Adverse events

You must report all unexpected adverse events to the Animal Ethics Committee within 24 hours of being aware of the events.

To report an adverse event, fill out the Adverse Event form in InfoEd.

The Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes 8th Edition (2014) defines adverse event and unexpected adverse event as follows:

Adverse event – any event that has a negative impact on the wellbeing of an animal. See also ‘Unexpected adverse event’.

Unexpected adverse event – an event that may have a negative impact on the wellbeing of animals and was not foreshadowed in the approved project or activity.

An unexpected adverse event may result from different causes, including but not limited to:

Death of an animal, or group of animals, that was not expected (e.g. during surgery or anaesthesia, or after a procedure or treatment).
Adverse effects following a procedure or treatment that were not expected.
Adverse effects in a larger number of animals than predicted during the planning of the project or activity, based on the number of animals actually used, not the number approved for the study.
A greater level of pain or distress than was predicted during the planning of the project or activity.
Power failures, inclement weather, emergency situations or other factors external to the project or activity that have a negative impact on the welfare of the animals.

Animal use competency registration form

Forms and reports in InfoEd

Accessing the standard operating procedure

Contact the Animal Ethics Office and Committee

The Animal Research Ethics Office is responsible for managing and facilitating the ethical review process for research involving animals.

The Curtin Animal Ethics Committee is constituted and operates in accordance with the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes.

Email: aec@curtin.edu.au

Applying for animal research ethics approval

Application process

Application deadlines

Maintaining your animal research ethics approval

Animal ethics forms and procedures

Contact the Animal Ethics Office and Committee