Certified Professional in IACUC Administration (CPIA) Eligibility

CPIA Eligibility Requirements

The Certified Professional in IACUC Administration (CPIA®) program is for individuals whose primary job responsibilities include a substantive role in the development, management, oversight, and administration of an institution's animal care and use committee (IACUC) and/or assigned to perform the daily activities in the administration of the institution's animal care and use program. The CPIA designation is not intended to be used as a means of qualification for IACUC-related employment for applicants who do not have any prior IACUC-related work experience. Candidates must qualify to sit for the CPIA examination by one of the following routes:

A Bachelor's degree, and two years of qualifying, relevant IACUC experience within the past seven years or Four years of qualifying, relevant IACUC experience within the past seven years

Part-time experience is calculated by the percentage of effort spent on IACUC administration-related work, based on the following formula:

1 year of experience x 50% effort in IACUC administration = 6 months of eligible experience

If your institution does not employ an FTE exclusively assigned to IACUC administration-related work, part-time experience is calculated by the percentage of effort the institution assigns for IACUC administration, based on the following formula:

1 year of experience x 30% of institutional program effort = 4 months of eligible experience

What Qualifies as 'Relevant IACUC Experience'?

Experience comprises both time and quality components and is defined as the direct performance or responsibility for activities that comprise IACUC Administration. Qualifying, relevant institutional IACUC experience must represent a commitment to ensure appropriate care of research animals and requires the performance of IACUC functions, as listed below, at the institutional level. Candidates must be responsible for the development, management, implementation, oversight, and administration of the:

  • IACUC protocol review process, from submission to approval
  • Semiannual program review and facility inspection processes
  • IACUC policies, procedures, and guidelines
  • Regulatory/accreditation processes (e.g., AAALAC, DOD, OLAW/PHS, USDA, VA)
  • Continuing IACUC oversight of animal activities and the investigation of animal welfare concerns and/or noncompliance
  • Support for IACUC committee functions
  • Training programs regarding IACUC functions and animal care and use regulations/guidelines

The following roles alone do not meet the primary eligibility requirements for performance of IACUC administration functions:

  • IACUC member
  • Veterinary professional or paraprofessional
  • Institutional official
  • Investigators/research staff
  • Laboratory animal facility management and staff