Qualified, knowledgeable and competent?

To be qualified, you need to meet extensive training requirements, which will depend on the role you play in a research project.

On 15 March 2023, the Lifelong Learning (LLL) policy, approved by the establishment licence holders UMC Utrecht and Utrecht University on 5 October 2021, goes into effect. What this means for you in practical terms is worked out in the implementation guide. In brief, it means that you must be re-registered every three years as a qualified and knowledgeable staff member.

Your department’s LLL coordinator will register you, after coordinating with your manager, using a portfolio you provide for this purpose. We do this at the beginning of a calendar year during the registration meetings, so make sure your portfolio is in order in time. One of the meetings we assume you will attend is the start meeting, Animal Experiments in Utrecht, where you will also hear more about what it takes to do animal research in Utrecht. You must also ensure that your competencies (abilities to perform particular tasks) are registered. This can be requested during the approval of a work protocol (WP). You can only be trained by a registered supervisor, and an registered assessor can run an assessment to determine whether you can be entrusted with independently performing a task with an animal.

Supervisor and assessor

The person who trains (the supervisor) or assesses (the assessor) whether a task involving laboratory animals may be entrusted to another:

• is a qualified and registered staff member
• is competent in a number of procedures
• is registered with the Animal Welfare Body as an assessor
• has taken an assessor or other designated training.

Principal Investigator

The researcher who bears the final responsibility for the animal experiment and submits the application:

• Has a Master’s degree in the relevant field of study.
• Has a certificate for the legally required Course on Laboratory Animal Science, including a relevant course in the specific animal species.
• Is registered with the Animal Welfare Body and has participated in the start meeting.
• Continues to educate him/herself with courses, conferences, skills training.
• Needs to register as researcher animal experiments.

Study Director

The researcher who performs the animal experiment:

• Has a Master’s degree in the relevant field of study and a certificate for the legally required Course on Laboratory Animal Science ór a diploma from a recognised educational programme (MBO-4, HBO, biotechnique or zoological analyst).
• Is registered with the Animal Welfare Body and has participated in the start meeting.
• Continues to educate him/herself with courses, conferences, skills training.
• Is demonstrably competent in the use of laboratory animals.
• Needs to register as researcher animal experiments.

Research analyst / biotechnician

The research analyst involved in the animal experiments:

• Has a diploma from a recognised educational programme (MBO-4, HBO, biotechnique or zoological analyst) with an animal experiments certificate (MBO-3).
• Is registered with the Animal Welfare Body and has participated in the start meeting.
• Continues to educate him/herself with courses, conferences, skills training.
• Is demonstrably competent in the use of laboratory animals.
• Needs to register according to Article 13f2 Wod.

Animal caretaker

The animal caretaker that works with laboratory animals:

• Has a recognised MBO level 3 animal caretaker diploma.
• Is registered with the Animal Welfare Body and has participated in the start meeting
• Continues to educate him/herself with courses, conferences, skills training.
• Is demonstrably competent in the use of laboratory animals.
• Needs to register according to Article 13f2 Wod.

Other Co-Worker

Special rules apply for temporary guest staff, students, interns and medical specialists who participate in experiments on animals. For example, they may only work with laboratory animals while under the supervision of an authorised individual, again after registration with the Animal Welfare Body.

Intern:
What an intern may or may not learn depends on the type of training. Here, we follow the guideline of the IvD Platform(in Dutch only). This is only possible for a limited period of time and only with a view to obtaining a qualification. As internship supervisor, you fill in the intern form and specify which procedures will be practiced. Please note that only registered supervisors are allowed to supervise these procedures. An intern always works under supervision and is not authorised to sign off welfare diaries and prcedures list.

Trainee employee (MiO):
If you work at Utrecht University or UMC Utrecht and will be involved in animal experiments, you must meet the requirements above. If you do not meet these requirements because you have yet to take a course or have been trained abroad, you can be trained under supervision for a short period (up to a year). You are then a trainee employee (MiO). The competences officer will contact you and discuss the conditions with you. To register as a MiO, you must apply with the documents and training you already have. We will then create a dossier and see what is required for you to be registered as competent via an exemption or 'recognition of professional qualifications'. If so, we will let you know which training you still need to take. Fill in the standard registration form 'working with laboratory animals' for employees.

(Medical) Specialists:
If, as an authorized employee, you wish to use specialists for certain techniques, this is possible under some circumstances and even desirable for the welfare of the laboratory animal or the quality of the experiment. For these procedures, exemptions can be requested from the NVWA by the IvD. The specialist then does not have to obtain a license or renew his registration. However, it is important to realize that this specialist then has no control over (the welfare of) the laboratory animal and must always be supervised by someone with a competence.

Temporary guest staff:
The possibilities for temporary guest staff to participate in animal experiments is quite limited. But if there are valid reasons, exemption can be requested from the NVWA. If a guest employee. Exceptions are guest employees who are invited to learn or demonstrate a specific technique or skill here. A shortened procedure may apply there.

In all cases, it is wise to contact the IvD very early. Registering an intern can be done fairly quickly, usually within a week. For a route of waiver, you must reserve at least 8 weeks.

Competent and Involved in an Animal Experiment:
As a professional with proven competence in working with animals, you may carry out procedures as part of an animal experiment conducted under practical or field conditions. Your practical skills contribute to the quality of these procedures. An example of this would be veterinarians performing routine veterinary procedures within the context of an animal experiment, or professionals with specialist experience in handling a particular species or type of procedure.

If you are not authorised under the Experiments on Animals Act (Wet op de dierproeven ‒ Wod), but are competent in performing the required procedures, you may participate in an animal experiment after submitting the appropriate information and documentation. You must provide a declaration to the responsible researcher or authorised person. This person is responsible for collecting and storing these declarations with the documentation related to the animal experiment. The declaration can be downloaded via the QR code or through this link.