TITLE 14 - AERONAUTICS AND SPACE

CHAPTER V - NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

PART 1232 - CARE AND USE OF ANIMALS IN THE CONDUCT OF NASA ACTIVITIES

1232.106 - Management authority and responsibility.

  (a) Authorized NASA Official. The Authorized NASA Official is the NASA Administrator's representative and is responsible for all NASA activities involving animal subjects. This individual is responsible for implementation of the provisions of this rule and for ensuring that agency programs involving animal subjects comply fully with all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines.

  (b) Field Installation Director. The Field Installation Director is responsible for and has the authority to: (1) Sign the field installation's Assurance, making a commitment on behalf of the field installation that the requirements of the PHS Policy and this rule will be met in all field installation activities involving animal subjects; (2) Create and oversee the functioning of the field installation ACUC; (3) Decide and administer sanctions in cases of noncompliance with this rule; (4) Fulfill the reporting requirements assigned to this individual in 1232.105(h); and (5) Sign the annual USDA report.

  (c) NASA Field Installation(s) ACUC Responsibility. Each NASA Field Installation ACUC is responsible to its Field Installation Director for the activities described in 1232.104(c) and 1232.105 (b), (c), (d), (e) and (h).

  (d) Research or Flight Program Manager Responsibility. The Research or Flight Program Manager is responsible for ascertaining the presence of the required PHS Assurance file number for proposals involving animal subjects received from non-NASA institutions, and a statement of ACUC review and approval of all NASA and non-NASA proposals involving animal subjects. No awards for activities involving animal subjects can be made without this documentation [see 1232.104 (b) and (d) and 1232.105(b)].

  (e) NASA Veterinarian(s) Responsibility. NASA veterinarian(s) have direct or delegated authority and responsibility for activities involving animal subjects at their field installation. Such authority and responsibilities shall include recommending approval or disapproval of procedures involving animal subjects as a member of the ACUC, continual monitoring of these activities, surveillance of the health and condition of animal subjects, and reporting any observed deviations from approved procedures involving animal subjects to the Field Installation Director and the ACUC. In the case of deviation from ACUC-approved practices or procedures, the veterinarian shall have the authority to immediately halt such procedures until they are reviewed and resolved by the ACUC. In cases of a conflict concerning animal usage by an investigator that cannot be resolved between him/her and the veterinarian, the matter may be brought to the attention of the Field Installation ACUC for review and recommendation for action as set forth in this rule. Whereas the performance of the veterinarian's duties can be delegated to other qualified individuals, the ultimate responsibility rests with the veterinarian. This responsibility extends not only to the Animal Care Facility (ACF), but also to other locations where animal subjects are used.

Other specific areas of responsibility and authority vested in the veterinarian are: (1) Entry of personnel into the ACF. The veterinarian has the responsibility to develop access procedures to the ACF and submit them to the ACUC for approval.

  (2) Personnel Training. The veterinarian will participate in the training of personnel in the handling of animal subjects and in specimen sampling procedures.

  (3) Animal Training. The veterinarian will monitor all schedules and procedures involving the training and acclimation of animal subjects.

  (4) Surgery and Surgical Procedures. The veterinarian will monitor all surgical procedures and verify that the principles of the Guide with regard to aseptic surgery are employed. Post-surgical recovery procedures are included. If necessary, training will be provided by the veterinarian to bring procedures conducted by investigators to the level of these standards.

  (5) Veterinary Medical and Engineering Procedures. The veterinarian will monitor all veterinary medical and engineering procedures performed on animal subjects and verify their appropriateness. The veterinarian will actively participate in identifying and/or establishing the design requirements and adequacy of animal facilities for ground and spaceflight-related activities.

  (f) NASA Representative to the Interagency Research Animal Committee (IRAC). The NASA representative to the IRAC will obtain information of all cases in which an institution's Assurance has been revoked by the PHS. The NASA IRAC representative will notify NASA ACUC's, Field Installation Directors, the Authorized NASA Official, and all Headquarters Research and Flight Program Managers so that they can determine which NASA awards involving the use of animal subjects are affected and can take appropriate sanctions.