Melbourne ResearchAnimal Ethics

Ten Top Tips for Animal Ethics Application Success

Introduction

This document is also available as a brochure

Between 2004 and 2007 only 53% of animal ethics applications were approved at the first University of Melbourne Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) to which they were submitted. The remainder were sent back to the applicants for modification before eventual resubmission. Furthermore, many “first meeting” approvals were contingent upon the provision of clarification or additional information by the applicants before final approval could be granted.

These delays are frustrating, particularly as they are often caused by communication or presentational issues, rather than poor experimental design or any unwillingness on the part of the researchers to incorporate animal welfare considerations into projects. So what can we do to address this situation? The sections below aim to provide some helpful advice for researchers, based on an analysis of past AEC decisions.

  1. Writing with the purpose in mind
  2. Writing for a non-scientific audience
  3. Providing a clear narrative and chronology
  4. Including and reconciling all scientific information
  5. Justifying and minimising animal numbers
  6. Assembling the right team
  7. Piloting and/or staging the project?
  8. Monitoring and documenting the animals
  9. Getting surgery and pain management right
  10. Making the endpoint clear
The sections above contain links to both University-authored and third party information. We can only be directly responsible for guidance badged by the University of Melbourne.

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