Raising Concerns

Veterinary Advice and Assistance

The Veterinary Services Team are available to discuss any concerns you may have regarding animal health or welfare associated with ANU research.

Contact the Veterinary Services Team

 

Complaints

In accordance with the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, complaints may be raised by any person or group, including investigators, animal carers, animal ethics committees, AEC members, students, employees of the institution and members of the public (section 5).

The University takes concerns about compliance with the code very seriously. Complaints will be reviewed and investigated in accordance with the Animal Ethics Complaints & Non-Compliance process.

Animal welfare concerns may arise when the humane and ethical treatment of animals is not upheld. This may occur in animal holding rooms, production rooms, the laboratory or in the field, and may constitute a breach of the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes.

Anyone concerned about the welfare of animals at the ANU should report their concerns to the Animal Welfare Officer (AWO) by contacting vetservices.ris@anu.edu.au.

To raise other concerns regarding the care and use of animals at ANU (including conscientious objection in the case of teaching activities), please contact one of the following:

Concerns regarding the decisions or review processes of the ANU Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) should, in the first instance, be addressed through discussion and mediation:

If the concern can't be resolved through communication, a formal complaint may be lodged via one of the following pathways:

The ultimate decision regarding the ethical acceptability of an activity lies with the AEC and must not be overridden (Section 5.6).

Complaints about ethics review processes raised by ANU staff or students will not affect their employment status or entitlements.

For concerns relating to the processes or findings of an independent external review, please contact:

ANU researchers must conduct research in line with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, and the ANU Code of Conduct policy. If you believe that research misconduct has taken place, this complaint will be handled through Research Integrity. For concerns regarding potential research integrity matters, please refer to the ANU Research Integrity website for more information.

Complaints or concerns about serious misconduct involving other people (e.g., harassment or bullying) should be resolved according to the relevant ANU Policies and Procedures (e.g., ANU Staff Grievance Resolution Procedure through ANU HR).

 

Non-Compliance

Non-compliance occurs where a party or person involved in the care and use of animals does not act in accordance with:

This applies to all individuals and parties involved, including investigators, animal carers, the AEC, governance officials, and external parties (Section 5.1.IV).

To report suspected or confirmed non-compliance:

  • If the non-compliance is related to a protocol or facility you are listed on, submit the 'Non-Compliance Form' on REMS; or
  • Contact animal.ethics@anu.edu.au 
  • Submit the online form

If you are unsure whether an incident constitutes non-compliance, you are still encouraged to report the concern. The AEC will assess the information provided and determine whether further review or action is required.

Non-compliance will be reviewed and investigated in accordance with the Animal Ethics Complaints & Non-Compliance process.

 

Appeals

The complainant or respondent may request a review of an investigation or outcome on the grounds of procedural fairness by contacting the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation).

If, following an appeal, you don’t believe a concern has been resolved, the matter should be referred to an appropriate external organisation:

Reference documents

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