Research Collaboration: Working With Investigators, the IACUC, and the Team
What the domain covers
Research collaboration is about the human systems that make good science and good welfare compatible: protocol development, the IACUC review process, the three Rs (replacement, reduction, refinement), roles and responsibilities, and communication across veterinary, husbandry, and research staff.
Concepts to master
- The three Rs in practice: replacement (can a non-animal model answer the question?), reduction (power analysis, shared tissues, pilot studies), and refinement (less invasive methods, better analgesia, improved housing).
- Protocol lifecycle: writing, amendment, annual review, and the significance of changes-some changes require amendment, others require only notification.
- Roles: the attending veterinarian's authority over animal health, the IACUC's oversight role, and the investigator's responsibility for the science and for the people doing the work.
- Conflict and communication: how to raise a welfare concern, and why documenting the conversation matters.
Traps in questions
The classic trap is assuming the IACUC approves science-it evaluates the protocol's animal use, not the merit of the hypothesis. Another is treating an amendment as paperwork; substantive changes to procedures, pain category, or numbers require review before implementation. Questions also probe whether you know who has authority in an animal welfare emergency.
Worked rule of thumb
The three Rs are a conversation, not a checklist. When an investigator proposes a new procedure, ask: could this be done without animals (replacement)? Can fewer animals answer the question (reduction)? Can the procedure be made less painful or less stressful (refinement)? Document the answers-they belong in the protocol narrative.