Animal Welfare Body (AWB)
The Animal Welfare Body (AWB) is an independent authority at KI, and the aim of the AWB is to strengthen the animal welfare for laboratory animals at KI.
The Animal Welfare Body (AWB) at Karolinska Institutet was formed January 1st 2013 and reports to the Establishment license holder at Comparative Medicine and the Committee of Research at KI. The National Committee for the protection of animals used in research is the advisory board for the AWB.
Regulations and general advice
The Swedish Board of Agriculture's regulation and general advice on laboratory animals SJVFS 2019:9; saknr L150 (in Swedish) describes the mandate and tasks of the AWB.
Please note that Swedish version must be used in the application.
Animal based research outside of the EU
Will you conduct related research on animals in a country outside of the EU ("third country")?
Use this template to assess whether you need to consult the KI animal welfare body or not.
Amendmends to AWB
The AWB has the mandate to decide on some, clearly defined, amendments to valid ethics permits from researchers at Karolinska Institutet.
A principal investigator with an approved ethics permit can, if necessary, apply for changes in the permit, provided that the change:
- does not risk to affect the welfare of the laboratory animals in a negative way,
- does not affect the possibility to attain the purpose or goal of the experiment,
- does not negatively affect
a) the experiment’s severity classification,
b) end-point or humane end-point,
c) experiment times,
d) laboratory animals’ supervision during the animal experiment, as well as
e) housing, care, or marking that requires approval of an Ethics Committee.
Amendment application
The application must be written in Swedish and is done by completing the form below and submitted to awb@ki.se. You will find further instructions in the application form. Be aware that incomplete applications may delay the handling of the application.
The amendment application should be submitted 21 days prior to the next AWB meeting at which a decision can be taken. The AWB will send the registered decision to the principal investigator, the regional animal ethics committee, the County Administrative Board in Stockholm and the establishment license holder.
Select the relevant application form (in Swedish)
The applicant is responsible to inform all who may be concerned of all details in the approved ethics permit, including the amendment.
Meeting dates for decision
2023
Augusti 16
September 21
October 19
November 23
December 14
Dates may be subject to change.
Members
The AWB consists of the following persons from 16 September 2022:
- Chairman: Lars Bräutigam. Deputy chairman: Elisabet Andersson
- Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer (NACWO): Elisabet Andersson
- Veterinarian: Bengt Eriksson, deputy Maria Averstad
- Researcher: Camilla Svensson, deputy Lars Bräutigam
- Animal technician personel: Caroline Lindqvist, deputy: Sara Ferm
- Ethologist: Mikaela Sandbacka (only participates in cases regarding non-human primates)
- Adjunct: Lars Bräutigam (for matters regarding aquatic species)
The members of the Animal Welfare Body are appointed by the Board of Research at KI.
Contact the AWB
E-mail: awb@ki.se