Pre-Clinical Research Compliance and Education

The University of Maryland School of Nursing has expanded its research to include pre-clinical research that examines animals as models to humans while exploring disease progression and other biological topics, a framework also known as comparative medicine.

The Office of Research and Scholarship is committed to supporting research initiatives from students and faculty, as well as aiding with pre-award training and protocols, quality improvement, and general oversight.

Research Involving Animal Subjects Overview

Research studies that involve animal subjects must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), a branch of the Office of Animal Welfare Assurance (OAWA) at UMB.

Similar to the Institutional Review Board (IRB), IACUC is comprised of a multidisciplinary team. Each committee has:

  • a veterinarian experienced in laboratory animal science and medicine
  • a scientist experienced in animal research
  • a member without a background in science (g., lawyer, member of clergy)
  • a member without institutional affiliation.

UMSON continues to work collaboratively with the School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center to conduct bench research, aka experimental medicine or medical research. Faculty, students, and other researchers are diligent about proper documentation and utilize the official protocol for laboratory notebook keeping. 

Resources:

Training Requirements

UMB Environmental Health and Safety Training Requirements

All employees that work in a laboratory are required to complete the Environmental Health and Safety training.

Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Requirements

All individuals engaged in laboratory animal research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore or under the oversight of the UMB IACUC are required to complete CITI training.

  • If you are a PI or work with laboratory animals, you must complete the Working with the IACUC for Investigators, Staff & Students course and the appropriate species-specific course for each species included in the animal use protocol.
  • If you are an IACUC member, you must complete the Essentials for IACUC Members course.