{"id":522,"date":"2018-03-27T05:51:12","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T05:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/what-do-institutional-animal-ethics-boards-do\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T13:22:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T07:52:33","slug":"what-do-institutional-animal-ethics-boards-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/what-do-institutional-animal-ethics-boards-do","title":{"rendered":"What do institutional animal ethics boards do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the <\/span><\/span>previous post of this series<\/span><\/span><\/a>, I spoke about the role of regulatory bodies governing animal research. It\u2019s now time to talk about what institutional ethics boards do when it comes to vetting animal research proposals. I\u2019ll also share tips on the things to remember when you submit your proposal for your study involving animals.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What does an animal ethics review committee do?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Studies involving animals undergo an\u00a0animal ethics review process as part of the research proposal approval process. An animal ethics committee typically\u00a0evaluates the quality and consistency of a proposal. It reviews the proposed use of animals in research by evaluating the scientific design and conduct of the study and assesses if there are any modifications required in the protocols prior to approval. The committee ensures that the protocols in the proposal adhere to the standard guidelines and the personnel involved in animal care and use are appropriately qualified to perform their duties and conduct the proposed activities. The committee also looks into any legitimate concerns involving the care and use of animals during research. The review board inspects the housing and other facilities in the animal facility in the institution to make sure that the experiments are conducted under hygienic conditions. The ethics committee assesses predictable risks\/harms to the animals to weigh them against advantage of research outcomes with every study protocol. The final decision of approval\/rejection of a research proposal and the final number of animals to be allotted is made after all committee members arrive at a consensus.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A protocol review by an institutional animal ethics committee typically covers the following points:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. <\/strong>The basis for approving animal research proposals:<\/b> Approvals are based on the potential contribution the research can make towards the understanding of biological or environmental principles, or issues that benefit humans, animals, and the environment. The focus is also on research that can yield reproducible results. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tip:<\/span><\/span><\/u><\/i><\/strong> Remember that approvals are granted if the researchers can provide sufficient evidence to claim that alternative methods for conducting the experiment do not exist.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

2. <\/strong>The three Rs:<\/b> Adherence to the code of the three \u201cR\u201ds of animal research is a pre-requisite. What are the three \u201cR\u201ds? <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n