Animal Research Rules

The following rules were developed to help student researchers adhere to the regulations governing professional scientists and to protect the welfare of both animal subjects and the student researcher. Health and well-being is of high priority when students conduct research with animal subjects.

The competition organisers strongly endorse the use of non-animal research methods and encourage students to use alternatives to animal research, which must be explored and discussed in the research plan. The guiding principles for the use of animals in research include the following “Four R’s”:

• Replace vertebrate animals with invertebrates, lower life forms, tissue/cell cultures and/or computer simulations where possible.

• Reduce the number of animals without compromising statistical validity.

• Refine the experimental protocol to minimise pain or distress to the animals.

• Respect animals and their contribution to research.If the use of vertebrate animals is necessary, students must consider additional alternatives to reduce and refine the use of animals.

If the use of vertebrate animals is necessary, students must consider additional alternatives to reduce and refine the use of animals.

All projects involving vertebrate animals must adhere to the rules below AND to Section A rules.

A project is considered a tissue study and not a vertebrate animal study if tissue is obtained from an animal that was euthanized for a purpose other than the student’s project. In tissue studies, a student may observe the vertebrate study, but may not manipulate or have any direct involvement in the vertebrate animal experimental procedures.

Vertebrate animals, as covered by these rules, are defined as:

1. Live, nonhuman mammalian embryos or foetuses

2. Tadpoles

3. Bird and reptile eggs within three days (72 hours) of hatching

4. All other nonhuman vertebrates (including fish) at hatching or birth.

Exception: Because of their delayed cognitive neural development, zebrafish embryos are not considered vertebrate animals until 7 days (168 hours) post- fertilisation.

Rules for ALL Vertebrate Animal Studies

1. All vertebrate animal studies must have a research plan that includes:

• Justification why animals must be used, including the reasons for the choice of species, the source of animals and the number of animals to be used; description, explanation, or identification of alternatives to animal use that were considered, and the reasons these alternatives were unacceptable; explanation of the potential impact or contribution this research may have on the broad fields of biology or medicine.

• Description of how the animals will be used. Include methods and procedures, such as experimental design and data analysis; description of the procedures that will minimise the potential for discomfort, distress, pain and injury to the animals during the course of experimentation; identification of the species, strain, sex, age, weight, source and number of animals proposed for use.

2. All vertebrate animal studies must be reviewed and approved before experimentation begins. The Science Fair Leadership Committee (SFLC) must be asked to review any vertebrate animal studies performed in a school, home or field.

3. Students performing vertebrate animal research must satisfy state and country laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which research is performed.

4. Research projects which cause more than momentary or slight pain or distress are prohibited. Any illness or unexpected weight loss must be investigated and a veterinarian consulted to receive required medical care. This investigation must be documented a veterinarian. If the illness or distress is caused by the study, the experiment must be terminated immediately.

5. No vertebrate animal deaths due to the experimental procedures are permitted in any group or subgroup.

• Studies that are designed or anticipated to cause vertebrate animal death are prohibited.

• Any death that occurs must be investigated by a veterinarian. The project must be suspended until the cause is determined and then the results must be documented in writing.

• If death was the result of the experimental procedure, the study must be terminated, and the study will not qualify for competition.

6. All animals must be monitored for signs of distress. Because significant weight loss is one sign of stress, weight must be recorded at least weekly with 15% being the maximum permissible weight loss or growth retardation (compared to controls) of any experimental or control animal. If weighing of animals cannot be done in a fashion that is safe for both the researcher and the animal, then an explanation and approval by the SFLC needs to be included in the research plan, as well as an alternative method(s) to address signs of distress. Additionally, body conditioning scoring (BCS) systems are available for most species of animals utilised in research and agriculture and are an objective method for assessing the overall health status of the research subject, with or without weight loss. A BCS system should be included in the design of any study utilising live vertebrate animals and results regularly recorded.

7. Students are prohibited from designing or participating in an experiment associated with the following types of studies on vertebrate animals:

• Induced toxicity studies with known toxic substances that could cause pain, distress, or death, including but not limited to, alcohol, acid rain, pesticides, or heavy metals or studies with the intent to study toxic effects of a substance on a vertebrate animal.

• Behavioural experiments using conditioning with aversive stimuli, mother/infant separation or induced helplessness.

• Studies of pain.

• Predator/vertebrate prey experiments.

8. Justification is required for an experimental design that involves food or fluid restriction and must be appropriate to the species.

9. Animals may not be captured from or released into the wild without approval of authorised wildlife or other regulatory officials. All appropriate methods and precautions must be used to decrease stress. Fish may be obtained from the wild only if the researcher releases the fish unharmed, has the proper licence, and adheres to state and national fishing laws and regulations. The use of electrofishing is permissible only if conducted by a trained supervisor; students are prohibited from performing electrofishing.

10. After initial SFLC approval, a student with any proposed changes in the Research Plan of the project must repeat the approval process before laboratory experimentation/data collection resumes.

A. Additional Rules for Projects Conducted at School/Home/Field

Vertebrate animal studies may be conducted at a home, school, farm, ranch, in the field, etc. This includes:

• Studies of animals in their natural environment.

• Studies of animals in zoological parks.

• Studies of livestock that use standard agricultural practices.

• Studies of fish that use standard aquaculture practices.

These projects must be reviewed and approved by the SFLC.

1) These projects must adhere to BOTH of the following guidelines:

a. The research involves only agricultural, behavioural, observational or supplemental nutritional studies on animals.

AND

b. The research involves only non-invasive and non- intrusive methods that do not negatively affect an animal’s health or well-being.

2) Animals must be treated kindly and cared for properly. Animals must be housed in a clean, ventilated, comfortable environment appropriate for the species. They must be given a continuous, clean (uncontaminated) water and food supply. Cages, pens and fish tanks must be cleaned frequently. Proper care must be provided at all times, including weekends, holidays, and vacation periods. Animals must be observed daily to assess their health and well-being.

3) The SFLC must determine if a veterinarian’s certification of the research plan and animal husbandry plans is required. This certification is required before experimentation. A veterinarian must certify experiments that involve supplemental nutrition, administration of prescription drugs and/or activities that would not be ordinarily encountered in the animal’s daily life.

4) If an illness or emergency occurs, the affected animal(s) must receive proper medical or nursing care that is directed by a veterinarian. A student researcher must stop experimentation if there is unexpected weight loss or death in the experimental subjects. The experiment can only be resumed if the cause of illness or death is not related to the experimental procedures and if appropriate steps are taken to eliminate the causal factors. If death is the result of the experimental procedure, the study must be terminated, and the study will not qualify for competition.

5) The final disposition of the animals must be described on the project documents.

6) Euthanasia for tissue removal and/or pathological analysis is not permitted for a project conducted in a school/home/field site. Livestock or fish raised for food using standard agricultural/aqua cultural production practices may be euthanised by a qualified adult for carcass evaluation.

Exempt Studies (Do Not Require SFLC Pre Approval)

Studies involving behavioural observations of animals are exempt from prior SRC review if ALL of the following apply:

• There is no interaction with the animals being observed,

• There is no manipulation of the animal environment in any way, and

• The study meets all federal and state agriculture, fish, game and wildlife laws and regulations.