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Anyone planning to carry out animal experiments must submit a detailed application to the Cantonal Veterinary Office via the web application via the new web application animex-ch, in which the aim of the experiment and the methods are described in detail and an ethical evaluation (weighing of interests - guidelines for applicants, Weighing of interests FSVO 2020 (PDF, 1 MB)) is made.
IMPORTANT:
Before writing the application, please consult the explanatory notes (PDF, 793 KB) for Form A on how to fill in the application form of FSVO or click on the (i) button (tool tip) in animex-ch which shows the explanations for the respective application section. Note that the veterinary office Zurich has additional guidelines and criteria on the website that you must take into account.
You must also observe the rejection criteria of the ZH veterinary office. Applications will be checked for these criteria (PDF, 428 KB) after submission and returned directly to the applicants (application will be "returned for rewrite") if fulfilled - WITHOUT the application being submitted to the animal experimentation commission. In order to save time for the applicants, the Vet Office has compiled these criteria in August 2018 (revised 2021). If any of these criteria are met, there will be a delay in the processing of the application.
The AWOs prepared a form A including all guidance by the ZH veterinary office (DOCX, 109 KB) that you can use. Note that these guidelines can be changed by the veterinary office.
If you have never written an application for animal experiments in Zurich or are not very experienced we highly recommend that you attend the LTK Module 23 "Preparing an application for animal experiments" that is offered for free to all UZH researchers.
The application that is considered final and has been checked and approved by the study director can then be submitted to the AWOs for their review. Ideally you submit the Word File of Form A (DOCX, 170 KB)by email to allow all revisions of the application before entering it into animex-ch.
The final version of the application is then uploaded in animex-ch (copy & paste from Word Form A) and submitted to the AWO. Only the AWOs can submit new applications (N), renewal applications (R) or supplementary applicatons (SC, SR) to the canton.
In contrast, the special supplementary personnel (SP) and extension of validity (SV) can and have to be directly submitted to the vet office.
Important information about animex-ch, FAQs and the manual can be found on the FSVO website.
New resource managers apply for access to animex-ch at the Cantonal Veterinary Office.
The resource managers themselves provide access for study directors and experimenters/ other persons involved.
The application must include the names of all persons directly involved in the experiment. In this case, directly involved means persons who carry out measures or interventions on live animals.
For new persons, a CV and proof of training in laboratory animal science (e.g. LTK Module 1) must be uploaded to animex-ch in the personnel section (outside the application). For persons who are already registered, certificates of further education must be uploaded (see also next paragraph) and up-to-date.
Every person involved in animal experiments must provide proof of the obligatory training and further training in accordance with the FDHA Ordinance on Training in Animal Husbandry and Handling.
As a rule, those carrying out experiments require LTK Module 1 (or another FELASA Cat. B accredited course) as a prerequisite, and study directors (and their deputies) must in addition have completed LTK Module 2 (similar to FELASA C courses) and show proof of 3 years experience in animal experimentation. In addition, 4 days of further training within 4 years must be demonstrated. LTK organizes together with the Animal Welfare Officers UZH/ETH one day of advanced training "Actual Topics of Laboratory Animal Science" every September.
Applications for animal experiments are submitted to the Cantonal Veterinary Office via the web application animex-ch. The authorisation procedure depends on the highest expected (prospective) severity.
Experiments with a severity grade of "0" are evaluated directly by the Cantonal Veterinary Office, all other experimental projects are forwarded to the Cantonal Commission for Animal Experimentation for evaluation and application.
Members of the TVK, elected July 2023 for the period 2023-2027 (page 3) (PDF, 73 KB) Election of a new member of the TVK (replacement) March 2024 (PDF, 46 KB) Reglement of the TVK (German)
The decision of the veterinary office (authorisation, form B) usually follows the recommendation of the commission. If the veterinary office decides otherwise, it must justify its decision to the commission.
The applicant, the commission and the FSVO are informed of the decision of the cantonal veterinary office. These parties may appeal against the decision within the appeal period (30 days). If no appeal is submitted, the experiments may be started after expiry of the appeal period.
The Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences SAMS and the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences SCNAT have drawn up ethical principles for the performance of animal experiments (PDF, 75 KB) and a template for self-examination, which can be used to make an ethical balancing of interests. In addition, the Commission for the Ethics of Animal Experiments of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences has published a practical guide for applicants.
See also: Weighing of interests FSVO 2020 (PDF, 1 MB) FSVO Information on harm benefit analysis.
Please consult the LASC website for detailed information.
If genetically modified animals or mutants are needed and bred, the "Data sheet for genetically modified lines or constrainend mutants" (Form D) must be completed. This data sheet must be submitted to the Cantonal Veterinary Office via animex-ch together with the animal experimentation application before the animals are used in the experiment. Since the process is presently undergoing changes, please get in touch with LASC (gmo.datasheets[at]lasc.uzh.ch).
More information can be found here.
Insufficiently characterised lines must be observed and possible constraint must be recorded in accordance with the FSVO Ordinance on Laboratory Animal Husbandry, the Production of Genetically Modified Animals and Methods of Animal Experimentation. The responsibility for recording constraint in small rodents lies with the head of the laboratory animal husbandry.
The experiments must strictly comply with the conditions and requirements specified in the application and the licence. Necessary changes must be applied via animex-ch as supplementary applications and must be approved by the cantonal veterinary office before the start of the experiment.
A record of the experiments must be kept and submitted to the representatives of the cantonal veterinary office or the commission on request. The protocols must provide information on the use of the animals, their constraint during the experiment and the experimental design. In particular, controls of the experimental animals and compliance with the termination criteria must be documented.
In the case of unexpected deaths, the cause of death must be clarified. This is the responsibility of the investigator.
Resource Managers must submit a report to the cantonal veterinary office via animex-ch for each calendar year by the end of February of the following year at the latest (interim report) and, after completion of the authorisation (final report), on the experiments carried out and animals used (form AC): FSVO Website (-> More information -> Forms)
The veterinary office checks the reports and finally submits them to the FSVO. The FSVO publishes annually the number of animals used in the experiment and also the species and severity of the disease.
After completion of the licence, the title of the application, the purpose of the experiment and the severity level are published on the FSVO Statistics website (completed experiments) in addition to the number of animals.
