Reporting and Resources

Animal Research Reporting Procedures

Safety Events and Protocol Deviations

  • A safety event (AE) is an unanticipated occurrence that results in increased pain, distress, or health risk to an animal(s) or human(s). Reporting AEs assists the research team, provider or veterinary staff, to determine the cause and to prevent re-occurrence. 
  • A protocol deviation is any departure from the procedures approved in the IACUC or IRB protocol.

Research teams are required to promptly report safety events and protocol deviations to the IACUC.

In addition to helping the staff prevent the SE from happening in the future, it also helps the IACUC meet the federal requirement to monitor all animal activities.

Explore associated SE/PD SOPs and resources here.

Animal Concerns

WFU personnel are strongly encouraged to report any concern about the care and treatment of animals used in research or teaching at WFU. Should you have a concern or question, please contact your supervisor and/or the principal investigator of the research project. If the issues are not resolved to your satisfaction, you can contact the below numbers.

For confidential reporting, you may also leave a message on the WFU Concern Line at 1-844-587-0825 or www.tnwinc.com/Reportline. You may leave your name or remain anonymous. All concerns are investigated. You will not be subject to discrimination or reprisal for good faith reports.

Additional Animal Concern Documentation available here. 

Resources for Animal Researchers 

Security and Animal Rights Issues: Animal Rights Extremism

The role of animals in society is an important question that is not without controversy. Wake Forest University supports the judicious use of animals in biomedical research as a justifiable means to increase general knowledge and to reduce suffering by improving public health in the long-term. The school supports informed debate and free speech rights on the issue in recognition that some of the public disagrees.

In contrast to lawful debate and dissent; however, extremists have harassed, threatened, and assaulted faculty at other universities. The materials linked below are intended to help keep WFU personnel and their families safe and to defend WFU’s research enterprise from acts of extremism.

  • WFU Hiring Practices - Screening Against Animal Activism
  • WFU Workplace and Home Safety for Researchers
  • Security Programs for Animal Research Facilities from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), NIH, DHHS.

Services Available to Researchers

Security

  • Advice, consultation, literature, policy
  • Detecting activist interest and demonstrations
  • Coordination of response to demonstrations
  • Security escorts on campus
  • Escorts to home
  • Posting of Security at office or home
  • Security design on campus or at home (cameras, alarms)
  • Liaison with Joint Terrorism Task Force
  • Liaison with local police jurisdictions (including surrounding counties)
  • Hiring off-duty police officers
  • Advice and escort for any criminal court procedures

Contact Security: 336-716-9111

Communications, Marketing and Media

  • Liaison with news media outlets
  • Positive promotion