Your research must comply with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals if:

• A. Your institution receives funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• B. You do not use animals
• C. You are not funded
• D. You only conduct non-invasive research

Answer: (A)

Compliance with the Guide is required whenever an institution receives federal funding, such as NIH support. The Guide establishes the standards for humane care and use of laboratory animals, and NIH requires that federally funded work be reviewed by an IACUC and conducted under approved protocols with proper veterinary care, training, and facility conditions. This funding-based requirement means the Guide governs the conduct of animal research at institutions that receive NIH dollars, not just when experiments are invasive. If an institution does not receive NIH funds, the Guide isn’t automatically mandatory by law, though many places adopt it as policy. The idea that only non-invasive research would trigger compliance isn’t accurate because the obligation applies to federally funded animal research regardless of invasiveness.