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'If you work with laboratory animals, you will never be finished with your training! New developments within animal research are going fast. Keep your knowledge up-to-date.’ Jan van der Valk
All persons carrying out or supervising animal experiments must pass the mandatory training to gain expertise and practical skills required to handle and breed experimental animals in a responsible manner and with due care and consideration.
Ususally, experimenters must attend and pass the LTK Module 1 (or a different FELASA Cat. B accredited course) before starting experimental work with animals.
Individuals with a special education, e.g., veterinarians, need to attend the entire course only in case they work with animal species they have not routinely worked with during their education as a veterinarian. In all other cases, veterinarians must attend the parts of the course covering ethics (E), legislation (G) and alternative methods, 3Rs principle (A) or a separate EGA course.
In case you acquired a certificate for animal experimentation abroad and are not sure whether it fulfils the required training, you (or your resource manager) may submit all information to the Cantonal Veterinary Office via animex-ch. The veterinary office will decide which training and/or education is needed.
Study directors (SD) and their deputies must have completed studies in biology, human or veterinary medicine or similar, show a minimum of 3 years of practical experience in the field of animal experimentation and complete the LTK Module 2 (similar to FELASA C Courses).
The certificate of LTK Module 2 (or a similar course attended abroad) and a CV must be submittted to the Veterinary Office via animex-ch:
All individuals performing or supervising animal experiments as well as animal care takers and animal welfare officers must undergo a minimum of four days of training/continuing education within four years, i.e. in average one day of training per year. You have to make up for missing days of continuing education.
The obligation for further education starts with the date of the first recognition / accreditation for experimental work (date of first "approved role" in animex-ch). The date refers to the last course day of the LTK1/20 module or a FELASA B course recognized by the veterinary office.
NB: This means that with the recognition of a foreign training course, the obligation to continue the training starts from the date of completion of this training course - regardless of when the work in Switzerland started.
From January 1, 2024, subject-specific further training courses and, if necessary, scientific conferences must be submitted once by the institute to the canton with the necessary documents (recognition form, program and abstracts of the relevant lectures) for recognition:
After recognition, participants only have to upload the confirmation of participation under the event selected from the list in animex-ch.
Please refer to the user manual (Chapter 4), which is available in animex-ch, for information on how the institute should submit the events to the canton via animex-ch.
We offer tailormade courses for your research group (please contact us for further information).
Student courses: 3Rs and the ethics of Animal use: The course is open to students of all majors and disciplines. It is primarily aimed at anyone with an interest in ethical and social issues surrounding animal experimentation and related research. It is also suitable for people who conduct animal experiments themselves or will work with data from animal experiments. (1 ECTS and 2 days of cont. education). Bachelor, Master, PhD level School for Transdisciplinary Studies (STS) and PhD level Life Science Zurich Graduate School
Upload all education such as certificates of LTK Modules 1, 2, 20, EGA under "Education" (= "Ausbildung" in the German version of animex-ch) .
Certificates of continuing education (e.g. other LTK Modules, courses) have to be uploaded under "Training" (= "Weiterbildung" on the German version of animex-ch).