Updated: June 2026

Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) Meeting Dates

The first AEC meeting of 2026 was held on Thursday, 15 January 2026.

The Committee convenes on a fortnightly basis throughout the remainder of the year.

Please note:

• Applications should be submitted at least one month prior to the proposed project start date.
• All required reports must be completed by the specified due date unless an extension has been formally approved.

Animal Welfare Officers (AWOs)

For urgent animal welfare concerns, please consult your local veterinarian in the first instance.

Our Animal Welfare Officers are also available to provide advice on urgent matters and to report adverse events. Their contact details are as follows:

• Susan Doohan – Susan.Doohan@agresearch.co.nz | 021 809 970
• Colette Brick – Colette.Brick@agresearch.co.nz | 021 224 6589

The shared mailbox animalethicsoffice@agresearch.co.nz is monitored daily.

Organisational Update

AgResearch Limited has merged with three other Crown Research Institutes to form a new Public Research Organisation.

The legal name of the new entity is New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited, operating as the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI). This change came into effect on 1 July 2025.

BSI - AgResearch Animal Ethics Committee (BSI - AAEC)

As of 15 December 2024, Dr Jenny Juengel was appointed Chair of the AAEC, now known as the BSI - AAEC. 

Jenny can be contacted at: jenny.juengel@agresearch.co.nz

Code of Ethical Conduct (CEC)

The current CEC has been updated to reflect the organisation’s new legal identity:
New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited – AgResearch Group, abbreviated as “BSI – AgResearch.”

The updated CEC (dated 10 July 2025) is available:

• In the Help section of Te Ara under Templates
• On the AgResearch public website
• On the Animal Ethics Gateway page (for AgResearch staff)

Mandatory Animal Ethics CEC Training

All ~ Te Ara ~ users must complete the Code of Ethical Conduct training before access is granted.

Training link: Module 1 Code of Ethical Conduct Training
Module 1 – Code of Ethical Conduct Training (Microsoft Forms)

Useful Links

1. Animal Ethics – AgResearch (public webpage) Animal Ethics - AgResearch 
2. Animal Ethics Gateway (SharePoint – BSI staff only) Animal Ethics (sharepoint.com) 

Reporting Animal Use Numbers to MPI

All applicants (or the Programme Manager) are required to complete the Animal Welfare and Use report within one month following the approval end date of their Animal Ethics Application.

For parented companies:
Animal use numbers for all applications that concluded in 2026 must be reported to MPI by late January / early February 2027.

To avoid potential revisions, it is recommended that you wait until your Animal Welfare and Use 2026 return has been reviewed and accepted by the Committee before submitting figures to MPI.

If no applications concluded in 2026, a nil return is required.

Enquiries

For any animal ethics-related enquiries, please contact the Animal Ethics Office:
animalethicsoffice@agresearch.co.nz