The use of animals in research and teaching requires the highest ethical standards related to the practice. Trent University ensures that all researchers working with animals receive the proper training, guidance, and resources. In addition, the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) provides nationally and internationally recognized standards and verifies their effective implementation in Canadian institutions
For more information about Animal Care at Trent, please see the animal care page
For more information about the Animal Care Committee, please see the research committees page
Selecting a Protocol Form
- For field-based projects that may or may not have a laboratory component, choose the Wildlife Form.
- For strictly laboratory-based projects, choose the Laboratory Form.
Please contact the Coordinator, Research Conduct and Reporting, or ACF Manager if you would like to consult your protocol draft before submitting it for review by the Animal Care Committee.
Multi-year Protocols
Protocols can run a maximum of four years before a resubmission to the Animal Care Committee is required. Principal investigators are required to submit an annual summary after the protocol is approved.
*This does not apply to any recurring Teaching Protocol. An annual resubmission of a full protocol is mandatory.
Live Animals and Teaching
The use of live animals for undergraduate teaching purposes where animals are euthanized as part of the teaching exercise is discouraged. All teaching protocols involving the use of live animals must have a positive pedagogical review prior to the proposal being reviewed by the Trent ACC. Please contact Coordinator, Research Conduct and Reporting to obtain the templates for the Pedagogical Merit Review Form (filled out by the PI) and the Reviewer Comment Form. A pedagogical merit review should be requested by the PI from the curriculum committee of the relevant University department. Additionally, ACC requests a statement from the department Chair confirming financial support for the proposed work.
External Peer Review
Any application using live vertebrates and cephalopods, which has not completed the peer review process prior to submission, will be subject to external peer review prior to review by the ACC. In addition to submitting your AUP in ROMEO, please complete the Scientific Merit Review Form For Applicants and forward it to the Coordinator, Research Conduct and Reporting.
For more information please contact Coordinator, Research Conduct and Reporting.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Please contact the Manager of the Animal Care Facility for information on the availability of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) relevant to your animal use protocol. If you need to create a new SOP, please use this template.
Animal Care Training
Any person working with live vertebrates is required to complete the Animal Care Blackboard Course prior to commencing work under an approved protocol.
To access the Blackboard Animal Care Training course. Please follow these instructions:
- Login to myTrent, using your username and password.
- Select Blackboard Learning System.
- Select Animal Care at Trent Intranet-Animal Care at Trent from the list of courses available to you.
- If this course is not on your list, select the "courses".
- Search "animal care" in the search bar on the right hand side.
- Select "enroll" on the ANIMAL-CARE-INTRANET course in the list
- Review all of the modules and complete the online test. If after you complete the test, you have not successfully passed, review the areas of the course you were deficient in and then contact the Manager of Animal Care (animalcare@trentu.ca) to have your account reactivated.
2020 Canadian Council on Animal Care Assessment
Every three years the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) assesses members’ animal care and use programs. Its assessment panel includes scientists, veterinarians experienced in laboratory animal medicine, and community representatives, and assesses all aspects of the program, including animal care committee function, standard operating procedures, policy, housing facilities and research protocols.
CCAC assessment reports include commendations and recommendations in three categories: Major, Serious and Regular. Read more on the CCAC Certification Process.
In its 2020 assessment of Trent’s animal research program, CCAC made a number of commendations and regular recommendations. No major recommendations were made as part of the assessment. Prior to recertification, Trent must satisfy all recommendations made in the assessment.
Regular recommendations involve potential weaknesses in the animal ethics and care program based on CCAC policies, guidelines, and other CCAC-recognized standards. The measures taken and planned in response to these recommendations must be provided to the CCAC within six months of the institution receiving the written recommendations.
Additional Resources
Animal Care Application Guidelines
Animal Care Webpage Canadian Council on Animal Care
Trent University Animal Care Handbook
Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine
Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science
Canadian Bioethics Society
Canadian Animal Health Institute
Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing
Animals in Research Questions and Answers
Lab Animal
Laboratory Animals