¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Vice-Principal ResearchUniversity Animal Care Committee (UACC)
Scientific Endpoints and Humane Intervention Points
All Animal Use Protocols (AUPs) must detail scientific endpoints, humane intervention points and when necessary cumulative endpoints. As per the Queen’s University Policy on Pilots Studies, when insufficient data is available on scientific endpoints, pilot studies with close monitoring for welfare-appropriate endpoints must be conducted. Throughout the duration of the protocol, the individual animal must be monitored and when they reach a humane intervention point, the intervention outlined in the AUP, or model specific SOP must be applied. In certain circumstances, the humane intervention points and scientific endpoints may be adjusted during the scientific activity. The University Animal Care Committee (UACC) should be updated on the adequacy of the scientific endpoints and humane intervention points at the time of renewal, and they should be refined as necessary.
Cumulative Endpoints
Cumulative endpoints are the points at which individual animals should be considered to have reached their lifetime maximum involvement in scientific activities. All animals that are held long-term and animals that have multiple scientific experiences must have their lifetime cumulative experiences considered. At the time of AUP renewal, colony records for each long-term animal must be appended to the AUP for the UACC to review. The colony records are reviewed in conjunction with the current welfare status of the animal. Across all species, the decision as to whether an animal has reached its cumulative endpoint is based on the condition of the animal, psychological well-being of the animal, impact of experimental procedures, cumulative lifetime experiences and environmental parameters.
| Date | New Version |
|---|---|
| 03/28/2025 | Policy Created |