Qualified, knowledgeable and competent

A researcher may set up animal experiments and may be involved in their implementation if he or she has:

• A Master of science degree in a relevant field of study.
• A certificate from a course in laboratory animal science taken in the Netherlands.
• Demonstrable knowledge of the species with which they work (e.g. through species-specific modules).
• Registration as a researcher with the AWB in accordance with Article 9 of the Wod.
• Demonstrated competence in the handling and treatment of laboratory animals.
• Ability to act as a responsible researcher and thus apply for projects.
• Ability to act as a responsible executor and thus apply for experiments.
• Ability to contribute to experiments.

The animal technician or animal technologist who performs or is involved in animal testing:

• Has a diploma from a recognised programme (MBO-4 or HBO, biotechnical or zoological analyst).
• Must register with the AWB in accordance with Article 13f2b of the Wod.
• Is demonstrably competent in the handling and treatment of laboratory animals.

Animal caretakers who work with laboratory animals:

• Have a recognised diploma as an animal caretaker with a certificate in laboratory animals (MBO-3).
• Must register with the AWB in accordance with Article 13f2a of the Wod.
• Are demonstrably competent in handling laboratory animals and performing certain procedures.

The person who trains (the supervisor) or assesses (the assessor) whether an operation involving laboratory animals may be performed independently:

• Is a qualified and registered employee.
• Is competent in a number of procedures.
• Is registered with the AWB as a supervisor and assessor
• Has completed a competence assessor training or other designated training.

Separate rules apply to students, interns and medical specialists who participate in animal experiments. This also applies to persons who are eligible for registration as qualified after an (equivalence) exemption. For example, they may only work with laboratory animals under the supervision of a qualified person, after correctly registering with the AWB.

Intern

What an intern may or may not learn depends on the type of education followed. We work according to the guidelines of the IvD Platform in this regard. This is only possible for a limited period and only with a view to obtaining a qualification. As an internship supervisor, you fill in the intern form and specify which procedures will be taught. 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 on welfare logs or procedures.

Trainee employee (MiO)

If you have been accepted at Utrecht University or UMC Utrecht and will be involved in animal experiments, you must meet the above requirements. If this is not the case because you still need to take a course or were trained abroad, you can be trained under supervision for a short period (for a maximum of six weeks) in simple procedures. You will then be an employee in training (MiO). The competence officer will contact you to discuss the conditions. 

To register as a MiO, you must submit the documents and training courses you have already completed. We will then create a file and assess what is required for you to be registered as competent via an ‘(equivalence) exemption’. If this is indeed the case, we will let you know which training you still need to follow. To do this, fill in the standard registration form ‘working with laboratory animals’ for employees. Select the qualification that matches your tasks and go through the registration steps, providing the requested documents and training courses that you already have.
 

(Medical) Specialists:

If you, as a qualified employee, wish to deploy specialists for certain techniques, this is possible under certain circumstances and may even be desirable for the welfare of the  animals used or the quality of the experiment. Exemptions for these activities can be requested from the NVWA by the AWB. The specialist will then not need to obtain authorisation as qualified nor renew their registration.  It is important to realise, however, that this specialist has no authority over the laboratory animal (or its welfare) and must always be supervised by someone qualified.

Competent and involved in animal experiments:

Based on your professional competence with animals, you can perform procedures as part of animal testing carried out under practical or field conditions. In that case, your competence will benefit the quality of the procedures. Examples include veterinarians who perform regular veterinary procedures in the context of an animal experiment, or professionals who have specialist experience in dealing with a particular animal species or animal procedure.

If you are not Wod-certified but are legally competent, you can participate in an animal experiment after submitting the correct information and documentation. You must submit a statement to this effect to the responsible authorised person/researcher. They must collect the statements and keep them with the animal experiment documents. The statement can be downloaded via the QR code or via this form.

Qualified persons cooperating on a local licence:

If, for the implementation of a licence granted to UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University or another licence holder for which AWB Utrecht performs the task pursuant to Article 13f3c (official competencies), someone who is not registered with us is involved, then there must be clarity about their qualifications, knowledgeability and competence. 

This can be done in two ways:

1. The person registers with AWB Utrecht with all the rights and obligations as specified above.
2. The Dutch license holder with whom this person is employed declares that this person is qualified, knowledgeable and competent.

If a facility that falls under the UMC Utrecht or Utrecht University is the export location of a licence held by another Dutch licence holder, then the holder of that licence is responsible for qualification, knowledgeability and competence of the personnel who are not registered with us. The licence holders will make mutual agreements on this matter. This also applies to persons who have been granted an exemption.