Overview of Animal Welfare

How we operate at Monash University

There are:

• 10 Department or Hospital Animal Ethics Committees (AECs) - and a central 
• Monash University Animal Welfare Committee (MUAWC).

The AECs are the legal committees in Victoria and must approve each application to use animals in research and teaching, before the project may commence. 

The primary role of the Monash University Animal Welfare Committee is to ensure a uniform and high standard of animal welfare and ethics in animal experimentation throughout Monash University.

To achieve this, the Committee:

• Oversees University policy related to the use of animals in research and teaching
• Monitors the activities and ethical standards of each Animal Ethics Committee (AEC), and
• Ensures that animal facilities are of the highest standard. 

The MUAWC assists the AECs by, inter alia, providing training and education programs.

MUAWC Chair: Emeritus Professor RH Day, formerly Head Department Psychology and currently adjunct Professor Psychology, Latrobe University.

MUAWC Administrative support: Is provided by the Research Office. Please see Contact Us for details.  The Animal Ethics Officer, is Secretary of the MUAWC.

Animal Welfare Officer: is a member of MUAWC.

Monash adheres to the Victorian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and Regulations 1986 (the law), and the NHMRC Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (7th edition, 2004).

By law, and in accord with Code of Practice, AECs must have at least one member from each of the following categories:

• A veterinarian (Category A)
• An animal researcher (Category B)
• A welfare member (Category C, "a person with demonstrable commitment to, and established experience, in furthering the welfare of animals")
• An independent lay person (Category D, "an independent person who does not currently and has not previously conducted scientific or teaching activities using animals").

Each AEC also has the Animal Facility Manager or an animal technician as a member and the Animal Ethics Officer or Animal Welfare Officer in attendance. The C and D members are not employed by the institution.

The membership of each of these committees must be approved by the Victorian Bureau of Animal Welfare.

At Monash each Application to use animals must first be approved by the appropriate Monash AEC. As part of that approval the investigator must provide the AEC with an annual report and completed project report and seek the AEC's approval for any modifications to the project.

For further information or any enquires Contact Us.