The Animal Ethics Committee oversees the care of animals that are to be used for scientific purposes at UWA.

You should be aware of the Animal Ethics Committee's membership and composition.

Terms of reference

  1. The Committee is responsible to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) for:
    1. monitoring the acquisition, transport, production, housing care, use and disposal of animals;
    2. recommending any measures needed to ensure that the standards of the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, 8th edition 2013 (the Code) are maintained
    3. examining written proposals relevant to the use of animals in scientific and teaching activities and either approve, approving subject to modification or rejecting such proposals provided that the Committee approves only those studies for which animals are essential and which conform to the requirements of the Code, taking into consideration ethical and welfare aspects as well as scientific an educational value
    4. examining and commenting on all institutional plans and policies which may affect animal welfare
    5. ensuring that a register of approved proposals is maintained
    6. performing all other duties required by the Code.
  2. The Committee has the power to withdraw approval for any project or authorise the treatment or humane euthanasia of any animal.

The Committee reviews all projects for work involving the use of animals in all University facilities and the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre.

Ethics approval for animal use for projects involving staff working with animals at Telethon Kids and Perkins Institute has been delegated to the relevant ethics committees at those institutions.

Any researcher submitting an application for funding to the National Health and Medical Research Council is required to obtain ethics approval from the Committee for any project using animals stating that it complies with the principles outlined in the Code. The Committee also reviews all projects using animals in teaching classes.

Applications, committee meetings and submission dates

Making an application

  • You also need to consult with the manager of the animal facility you will be working with, this may involve a pre-application process.
  • The Committee recommends ROAP applications be submitted a minimum of four months before the intended project start date.
  • Teaching units involving animals will require submission of ethics applications to the Committee before the unit is advertised.
  • The Chief Investigator is responsible for ensuring applications are fully endorsed by all respective parties (Head of School and the animal facility coordinator/curator). The Director, Animal Care Services or the Curator of other UWA facilities is also required to endorse the application prior to submission.
  • Please arrange an appointment with the Director, Animal Care Services to discus animal housing ahead of the submission date by contacting Animal Care Services on (+61 8) 6488 6606.

Distribution of applications to the two committees (Blue and Green)

The distribution of animal ethics applications to the two UWA AECs (Blue and Green) is based on animal species.

The AEC Blue will review laboratory based animal projects:
  • rodents
  • guinea pig
  • rabbits
  • zebra fish
    (located at the biomedical Research Facility)
The AEC Green will review:
  • agricultural livestock including sheep and pigs for medical research
  • marine species
  • wildlife
  • native animals including native fish species

Committee submission deadlines and meeting dates

Submission deadlines are shown below for Applications and Major Amendments for consideration at AEC meetings. This should ensure that your Applications and Major Amendments can pass through the required HoS and Facility Endorsements prior to going to review by AEC members.

You are responsible for tracking your ROAP submission and checking that it has passed through the required endorsements. If the HoS or Facility does not endorse your Application and it requires further revisions, it is likely that your Application will not be on the Agenda for the next meeting.

You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to allow time for review processes and revisions to take place, even if this is several months in advance of the intended project start date.

AEC Blue committee

ROAP submission deadline AEC Blue meeting date
Thu 26 Jan 2023Thu 23 Feb 2023
Thu 9 Mar 2023Thu 6 Apr 2023
Thu 20 Apr 2023Thu 18 May 2023
Thu 1 Jun 2023Thu 29 Jun 2023
Thu 13 Jul 2023Thu 10 Aug 2023
Thu 24 Aug 2023Thu 21 Sep 2023
Thu 28 Sep 2023Thu 26 Oct 2023
Thu 2 Nov 2023Thu 30 Nov 2023

AEC Green committee

ROAP submission deadline AEC Green meeting dates and deadlines
Thu 5 Jan 2023Thu 2 Feb 2023
Thu 16 Feb 2023Thu 16 Mar 2023
Thu 30 Mar 2023Thu 27 Apr 2023
Thu 4 May 2023Thu 1 Jun 2023
Thu 15 Jun 2023Thu 13 Jul 2023
Thu 27 Jul 2023Thu 24 Aug 2023
Thu 7 Sep 2023Thu 5 Oct 2023
Thu 19 Oct 2023Thu 16 Nov 2023

Further infomation

  • Researchers
    To ensure correspondence from the Animal Ethics Office is sent to the correct mailing address, please contact Human Resources to ensure your contact details are correct.

Further information

Confidentiality


Guidelines and procedures


Researchers

The Animal Ethics Committee oversees the care of animals that are to be used for scientific purposes at UWA.

You should be aware of the Committee's membership and its composition.

  1. Terms of reference
  2. Meeting and submission dates

Terms of reference

  1. The Committee is responsible to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) for:
    1. monitoring the acquisition, transport, production, housing care, use and disposal of animals;
    2. recommending any measures needed to ensure that the standards of the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, 8th edition 2013  (the Code) are maintained
    3. examining written proposals relevant to the use of animals in scientific and teaching activities and either approve, approving subject to modification or rejecting such proposals provided that the Committee approves only those studies for which animals are essential and which conform to the requirements of the Code, taking into consideration ethical and welfare aspects as well as scientific an educational value
    4. examining and commenting on all institutional plans and policies which may affect animal welfare
    5. ensuring that a register of approved proposals is maintained
    6. performing all other duties required by the Code.
  2. The Committee has the power to withdraw approval for any project or authorise the treatment or humane euthanasia of any animal.

The Committee reviews all projects for work involving the use of animals in all University facilities and the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre.

Ethics approval for animal use for projects involving staff working with animals at Telethon Kids and Perkins Institute has been delegated to the relevant ethics committees at those institutions.

Any researcher submitting an application for funding to the National Health and Medical Research Council is required to obtain ethics approval from the Committee for any project using animals stating that it complies with the principles outlined in the Code. The Committee also reviews all projects using animals in teaching classes.

Back to top

Meeting and submission dates

To apply for a new Animal Ethics approval sign in to UWA's Research Online Application Portal (ROAP) https://roap.uwa.edu.au/

It is strongly recommended that you consult with the Animal Welfare Veterinary Advisor for guidance preparing your application (contact: [email protected]). 

  • You also need to consult with the manager of the animal facility you will be working with, this may involve a pre-application process.
  • The Committee recommends applications be submitted a minimum of four months before the intended project start date.
  • Teaching units involving animals will require submission of ethics applications to the Committee for consideration before the unit is advertised.
  • The Chief Investigator is responsible for ensuring applications are fully endorsed by all respective parties (Head of School and the animal facility coordinator/curator). The Director, Animal Care Services or the Curator of other UWA facilities is also required to endorse the application prior to submission.
  • To arrange an appointment with the Director, Animal Care Services, to discuss animal housing ahead of the cut-off date for submission of agenda items, please contact Animal Care Services on (+61 8) 6488 6606.
  • Late applications received after 4pm on the cut-off date for receipt of agenda items (cut-off dates below) will automatically be held over for consideration at the next meeting.

The distribution of animal ethics applications to the two UWA AECs (Blue and Green) is now based on animal species.

The AEC Green will review:

  • agricultural livestock applications including sheep
    and pigs for medical research 
  • marine species
  • wildlife
  • native animals including native fish species

The AEC Blue will review laboratory based animal projects: 

  • rodents
  • guinea pig
  • rabbits
  • zebra fish (located at the biomedical Research Facility)

Cut-off date for receipt of agenda items

AEC Meeting (Green)

 

Please start your initial submission on ROAP at least 4 weeks prior to the meeting cut-off date.  After your initial submission on ROAP, it may take several weeks for your application to progress through the relevant endorsements, e.g. HOS, Facility, DACS, and then final submission to the Animal Ethics Office for inclusion in the meeting agenda. You are also responsible for tracking your ROAP submission and checking that it has passed through the required endorsements in time for the meeting cut-off date.

Thursday - 18 March 2021 Thursday - 1 April 2021
Thursday - 22 April 2021 Thursday - 6 May 2021
Thursday - 27 May 2021 Thursday - 10 June 2021
Thursday - 1 July 2021 Thursday - 15 July 2021
Thursday - 5 August 2021 Thursday - 19 August 2021
Thursday - 9 September 2021 Thursday - 23 September 2021
Thursday - 14 October 2021 Thursday - 28 October 2021
Thursday - 18 November 2021 Thursday - 2 December 2021

Cut-off date for receipt of agenda items

AEC Meeting (Blue)

Please start your initial submission on ROAP at least 4 weeks prior to the meeting cut-off date.  After your initial submission on ROAP, it may take several weeks for your application to progress through the relevant endorsements, e.g. HOS, Facility, DACS, and then final submission to the Animal Ethics Office for inclusion in the meeting agenda.

You are also responsible for tracking your ROAP submission and checking that it has passed through the required endorsements in time for the meeting cut-off date.


Thursday - 11 March 2021 Thursday - 25 March 2021
Thursday - 8 April 2021 Thursday - 22 April 2021
Thursday - 13 May 2021 Thursday - 27 May 2021
Thursday - 17 June 2021 Thursday - 1 July 2021
Thursday - 22 July 2021 Thursday - 5 August 2021
Thursday - 26 August 2021 Thursday - 9 September 2021
Thursday - 30 September 2021 Thursday - 14 October 2021
Thursday - 4 November 2021 Thursday - 18 November 2021