1. The facilities of the Mercer campus exist for the benefit of Mercer faculty, staff, and students.
2. If an outside research entity, public or private, wishes to make use of Mercer facilities, they must establish a relationship with a Mercer faculty (or academic staff) member who sponsors the project for them. The Mercer faculty member serves as principal investigator for purposes of the Protocol for Animal Use. Mercer faculty member must assume the responsibility for appropriate supervision of the project, training of project staff, and must serve as the primary contact for the IACUC and for campus veterinary staff. The Mercer faculty sponsor must have appropriate supervisory authority over the project to control the conduct of the project at Mercer. If no Mercer faculty member is willing or available to assume supervisory responsibility for the project, such project may not be conducted at Mercer.
3. The sole exception to #2 above applies to faculty members of other campuses of Mercer University. Other Mercer campus faculty may serve as principal investigators in their own right, without a Mercer faculty sponsor. This privilege is granted subject to the following conditions:

a. Animal studies conducted by the other Mercer campus may involve the participation of a large number of investigators, staff, residents, and fellows. In order to simplify the communications between the IACUC, project staff, and Mercer veterinary staff, the principal investigator will designate a single individual who will be designated the primary contact for day-to-day communications about the project. The contact must be reasonably accessible by phone, pager, email, or FAX on a daily basis.

b. Adequate veterinary care, including post-operative care is required and defined by federal law. Mercer retains full responsibility for veterinary care of animals housed at Mercer; this responsibility is delegated to Mercers' on site and contracted veterinarian staff. Mercer is responsible for delivery of adequate veterinary care according to the federal standard, and is responsible for prompt and timely communication with the research staff of the project. The cost of provision of adequate veterinary care will be negotiated between Mercer and the primary contact for the project. Mercer's representative in this regard is the Associate Vice President of Research Compliance (478) 301-4101.

 c. Normally, Mercer veterinary staff in consultation with project staff will make decisions regarding veterinary care of an animal. Occasionally, as on Holidays or weekends, it may be necessary to provide veterinary care before it is practical to consult with the project staff. When such cases occur, it shall be the obligation of Mercer staff to immediately deliver veterinary care to the animal, and thereafter to communicate with project staff as expeditiously as possible. If, in the opinion of the clinical veterinary staff for the project, an animal requires euthanasia, they are specifically authorized to euthanize the animals on their own authority.  

d. Disputes between project staff and Mercer staff may be presented to the IACUC for resolution.

e. Use of Mercer facilities by the faculty of other university campuses may be terminated at any time by either the principal investigator or the IACUC acting singly.