JCU AEC - Internal Annual Review

2024 Annual Review of Compliance Report - JCU Animal Ethics Committee

Every year JCU conducts an annual review of the operations of its Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) in order to ‘to ensure that it is effective and consistent with the Code and institutional policies.’ The AEC prepares a report that advises on matters of its operation over the previous year that includes:

• Meetings, actions and decisions were compliance with the Code and legislation
• Numbers and types of projects and activities assessed, and approved or rejected
• The physical facilities for the care and use of animals by the institution
• Actions that have supported the educational and training needs of AEC members and people involved in the care and use of animals
• Administrative or other difficulties experienced
• Any matters that may affect the institution’s ability to maintain compliance with the Code and, if appropriate, suitable recommendations.

Summary

In 2024, the James Cook University AEC:

• Was authorised to operate in Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia;
• Had a membership that contains a Chairperson and three members of each Category A, B and D members and two Category C members;
• Had an average membership that comprised more than one third of Category C (animal welfare representative) and D (lay member) members;
• Invited Animal Facility Managers to attend meetings to provide advice on matters related to their facilities;
• Met 11 times, and all meetings were quorate (had in attendance at least one member of each category with Category C and D making up at least one third of the members present);
• A total of 63 new project applications were considered by the AEC.
  • 32 (50%) were approved at first review.
  • 26 (40%) were approved following minor clarification/amendment or additional information from the investigators.
  • 6 (10%) applications were deferred requiring major revisions, to be re-reviewed at a later meeting.
  • 0 applications were rejected.
  • All applications were subsequently approved by the AEC and no applications were
    rejected.
• Conducted inspections of 13 animal facilities;
• Provided face-to-face induction and ANCCART ComPass training to all new AEC members;
• Required that all staff and students working with animals also complete the ANCCART ComPass training (including staff of external organisations using the JCU AEC)
• Was provided with adequate resources by the institution to operate effectively;
• Reviewed three complaints or incidences of non-compliance, none were for serious non-compliance or resulted in significant welfare breaches.
  • Common issues investigated included administrative oversight (e.g., incorrect labels) and unapproved methodological variations.
  • One was dismissed as having no basis and two were considered minor and unintentional, required only minor administrative corrections;
• Reviewed 25 reports of unexpected adverse events occurring to animals.