Animal Welfare and Ethics

Animal Ethics at James Cook University

The James Cook University Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) rigorously reviews, approves, and monitors all activities involving the scientific use of animals conducted by University staff and students. The Committee ensures that all such activities strictly comply with the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes, upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct and animal welfare.

JCU has a dedicated Animal Welfare Officer who provides expert oversight, guidance, and support to ensure the wellbeing and humane treatment of animals throughout their use in research and teaching.

GECO Online Forms

James Cook University has introduced GECO, a new online research management system for submitting Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) forms. This system will change how researchers interact with the Ethics Office, Animal Ethics Advisors, and the AEC.

From 1 January 2025, all new applications, amendments, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) must be submitted through the GECO system. While the submission processes align with previous methods involving email, Word documents, and PDFs, GECO is designed to streamline and enhance the overall ethics application and amendment process.

AEC Reports

All Annual Progress, Final and Animal Use must be submitted using GECO.

Mandatory Animal Ethics Training

Completion of the mandatory, core online training is required for all James Cook University staff and students prior to commencing any work involving animals. This training is provided free of charge. For further details and to access the training modules, please visit the JCU AEC Training page.

James Cook University's Commitment to Animal Welfare

Learn about the University's commitment to animal welfare.

Animal Ethics Committee Meeting Dates 2025

GECO – Submission Deadlines

To ensure your application is reviewed at the next scheduled Ethics Committee meeting, it must be submitted in GECO well in advance of the published deadline. Once submitted, your application must progress through multiple levels of approval (e.g., Academic Supervisors, Ethics Advisors, Facility Managers, Deans, etc.). This process can take time, particularly if revisions are requested or if there are unforeseen delays. Applications submitted on the day of the deadline will likely not be reviewed until the following month’s meeting.

As each application varies, it is difficult for our office to provide a definitive timeframe for submission. The duration depends on factors such as the complexity of the project, the number of required approvers, whether changes are requested, and potential delays. In most cases, 1–2 weeks may be sufficient, but the process can take significantly longer.

Until the application status in GECO is listed as "With Ethics Office," the responsibility for its progress lies with the research team. We strongly recommend that you proactively contact all relevant approvers to notify them that your application is awaiting their review. This will help support a smooth and timely approval process.

Please note, the JCU Ethics Office will not be aware of your application until it reaches the status "With Ethics Office" in GECO

If you have any concerns, please contact the JCU Ethics Office

Contact the Research and Innovation Services Animal Welfare and Ethics team

You can contact the Ethics Team or Animal Welfare Officer by emailing ethics@jcu.edu.au

Or call the Animal Ethics Officer on (07) 4781 6575