vertebrate animals

MOST IMPORTANT: You MUST get formal PreApproval by our SRC (or by an institution's IACUC) before you may begin experimentation on vertebrate animals.

• The only vertebrate animal projects that are exempt from PreApproval are if you are only observing the animals AND didn't manipulate the environment AND don't possess the animals.

  • Example: With the zoo's permission, you are welcome to observe how adult tigers vs tiger cubs use their exhibits differently. This is exempt from PreApproval and does NOT require anything extra in the Research Plan or Forms. 

  • Example: You are welcome to observe (out a window or while sitting outdoors on a bench) how often male vs female cardinals change branches in the wooded area next to your house. This is exempt from PreApproval and does NOT require anything extra in the Research Plan or Forms.

• Our SRC (Scientific Review Committee) is a committee that reviews proposed research projects for ethics and safety. We consider the animals' (and researchers') welfare and the appropriate level of supervision for the project.

• If you are conducting your project at an institution with their own IACUC (like UCF or another college/university), you may be required to go through their IACUC approval. Your professional mentor at that institution can advise you on whether you'd need to do that. Please remember, though, that a professional institution's IACUC may approve research that is beyond the scope of our precollegiate rules; any research outside the bounds of our precollegiate rules may not be entered into the competition, even if it was approved through a university IACUC.

  • If you're not going through their IACUC, you can go through our SRC instead!

• If you are conducting your project anywhere else, please plan to go through our SRC. In Seminole County, we have a county-wide SRC for student research projects, run through our science fair office.

• IMPORTANT: Almost every single project will need at least one round of revisions before the SRC approves it. Use the info below to pre-empt the most common issues! But please factor this into your timeline when planning your project. 

The deadline to submit your project to our SRC for project PreApproval is 10/25/2024. Exception: AP Research students have a separate deadline of 11/22 to follow the CollegeBoard course timeline. Earlier submission is STRONGLY encouraged.

Animal Experimentation Requirements
In Florida, precollegiate researchers ARE NEVER allowed to cause death in vertebrate animals for the purposes of student research. You are also NOT allowed to use/do anything that you might reasonably think would be harmful or unpleasant to vertebrate animals.

• Justification for vertebrate use - You must justify why you need to use vertebrate animals for this. There should be a good rationale for why you're testing this research question at all, and there must be a reasonable explanation for why you couldn't test this in a non-vertebrate model.

  • For example, pet geckos often struggle with getting enough calcium. Under the guidance of a vet, it makes sense to test calcium supplements and whether it helps gecko health. Testing this in a model system wouldn't be applicable to promoting gecko husbandry among pet owners.

• Basic animal care ("husbandry") - You must plan for (and document) appropriate shelter, food, water, and general quality of life appropriate to the species.

• Procedures - You must plan these to minimize any potential discomfort or distress to the animals. You may NOT do anything that you might reasonably think would cause them harm or discomfort.

  • If you are planning to use any kind of diet restriction or nutritional supplement, you MUST have a veterinarian who is willing to serve as "Qualified Scientist" who advises on / supervises the project.

• You MUST include a plan to monitor each individual's weight and Body Condition Score (BCS) at least weekly. If at any point weight changes by more than 15%, or BCS changes, you MUST stop the study and consult with a vet. 

• If at any point a vertebrate dies during your experiment, you MUST stop the study. If a degreed professional with experience in necropsy certifies that the cause of death was NOT connected to the experiment, you may restart it.

  • Example: A fish disease in your tank is considered connected to your experiment (inadequate husbandry). You would NOT be allowed to continue, nor to compete with this project at the science fair.

  • Example: A tornado tearing down the farm's fence, which allowed a cow to get out, and the cow was unfortunately hit by a car --> that is likely NOT connected to your experiment. You would likely be allowed to continue the study and compete with the project.

• Final disposition (this means disposal of the animals, not their personalities):

  • You are NEVER allowed to release experiment organisms into the wild.

  • If you were working with your household pet, or you were working at a farm facility, and you/they are going to keep the animals as pets after the study, just state that.

  • If you acquired the animals just for the purposes of this project, you MUST have a plan for what to do with them after. You may keep them as pets, you may donate them to a pet store, or you may rehome them to loving homes. You may NOT release them into the wild, and you may NOT euthanize them.

    • If they are invasive species (like lionfish), you may be able to surrender them to FWC or a similar organization. Make sure you have this lined up BEFORE you submit this project proposal to our SRC!

• STORAGE AND DISPOSAL: Your teacher sponsor must store signed informed consent forms for 3 years in a locked cabinet (or if digital, in a password-protected folder). After 3 years, they must be destroyed (shredded or burned, or if digital, deleted with the trash emptied).

  • You will submit the earliest signed consent form with your science fair project file as proof that you followed the required informed consent procedures. Your teacher sponsor will sign a form (the VICF) verifying how many total there were.

  • NOTE: Your teacher sponsor will also need to store the data in a locked cabinet for 3 years then destroy. If your data contain any identifying information (like names, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, or birth dates), or if you have a "key" to match names to anonymous data, that must be stored in a separate locked cabinet or other password-protected folder with a different password.

Documentation for Vertebrate Animal Projects

• Research Plan 

  • You'll answer the subject-specific items for vertebrate animal research. See the sections above to help with this, and READ the notes in the question prompts!

  • Your procedure should ALSO include the steps for general animal husbandry/care.

  • Your bibliography MUST include a relevant source about animal care and use, chosen from the list on ISEF Rulebook. Make this source #3 in your bibliography (after the ISEF rules and SSEF rules) so our reviewers are sure to find it!

  • Your bibliography MUST ALSO include a Body Condition Scoring (BCS) guide for each species used. Make this source #4 in your bibliography so our reviewers are sure to find it!

• Form 1A special note: the "Actual Start Date":

  • If you acquire the animals just for this project, fill in the "Actual Start Date" as the date you take possession of the animals. This MUST be AFTER SRC/IACUC approval (the date will appear on Form 1B).

  • If you are not possessing the animals (they live elsewhere and receive their care from people there), fill in the "Actual Start Date" as the day you start experimenting on them. Then hand-write near there "never took possession of animals."

  • If you already had the animals before your experiment, you will have two start dates on 1A. Fill in the date you started experimentation as the "Actual Start Date" and then hand-write near that "Took possession of animals on: _____" to clearly show the two.

• Form 3 

  • Think through the possible physical risks to the animals and to yourself.

• Form 5:

  • If you conducted the project at a college/university with approval from THEIR IACUC: Form 5B (Signed/dated AFTER experimentation)

  • If you conducted the project anywhere else and/or are using our SRC for PreApproval: Form 5A (BEFORE FORM)

    • Fill out the top and answer the questions. Being honest, you will need to attach a separate page for #2.

    • If you have a veterinarian who has agreed to advise on the project, have them sign the bottom-left box.

    • Have whoever will actually be there while you collect data sign the bottom-right box.

• AFTER FORM: Mortality Report 

  • ALL VERTEBRATE ANIMAL PROJECTS MUST HAVE THIS, EVEN IF NONE DIED!

  • Complete this, stating how many animals you used in each group and how many died (hopefully none). If any died, attach a letter from a degreed professional with experience in necropsy that certifies the cause of death for each and that it was NOT connected to the experiment. [Reminder: "connected to the experiment" includes if you failed to provide adequate husbandry.]

• Check out this sample paperwork file (annotated with instructions).