• Welcome to Animal Facility Training

    To register for training, download the Training registration form (TRF).

    Please have your Principal Investigator (PI) (the person who holds the AUP you are working on) fill out the form with you and have them sign off where required.

    Email the completed form to afmtrain@mcmaster.ca

    • File
      Training Registration Form Click here to download File

    • What happens after Registration

      You will receive a welcome package that will include:
      • Login credentials to the training website afmtrain.mcmaster.ca
        • This is where you will complete the online components to your courses.
      • List of courses that you need to take
        • Based on the TRF submitted and after being reviewed by the Training Coordinator.

      • List of prerequisites for all courses.

      • Description of where to meet for each location when waiting for in-person training sessions.

      • How to get card access to your facility, and the safety courses that are required to be submitted.

      • Receive access to the Animal Facility SharePoint site.
        • Where SOPs, documents and other important information can be found.

      In-person Training Sessions

      Location of in-person training sessions. 

      The majority of the in-person training will take place in the Central Animal Facility (CAF), while some will take place at one of our satellite facilities, so be sure to check each courses details at time of booking to be sure you know the location and where to wait to meet the trainer. 

      IMPORTANT information for each course

      Quizzes must be completed, and Documents Of Training (DOTs) submitted, 2 business days (by 10am) before the course start date-weekends and holidays not included.  You will be removed from a course if this deadline is not adhered to.


      Take care of yourself during In-person training sessions.

      Whether due to fasting, a medical reason, stress or anything else, feeling faint can happen, and we want to keep everyone safe, and provide some guidance to help avoid this during the longer in-person training sessions.

      • Please ensure you have eaten prior to attending any courses.

        • Should you be fasting for any reason, you may want to defer your training to avoid any potential of passing out during a training session, or alert the trainer prior to the start of training so a chair can be provided.

      • Some courses can be particularly long.

        • We recommend you pack a high energy snack to quickly if needed.

      • Personal reasons 

        • If you have a history of fainting, have given blood the same day, have an aversion to blood, are pregnant or have any other medical conditions that may predispose you to fainting, please speak to the trainer in private prior to the start of the session so they are sure to keep a closer eye on you.

      If you feel faint at any point in time, sit on the floor IMMEDIATELY and inform the trainer.  
      Chairs are not safe to sit in if you are feeling faint.

      Technology in training
      Please do not bring your cell phone to training sessions, or turn them off, they are distracting to the trainer, other students and you!
      No recording allowed!

      Managing your training
      It is YOUR responsibility to keep track of courses you have booked, and to ensure you have the requirements in time. 
      You may only sign up for one spot in each course, unless you are a waitlist for the first session.

    • File
      List of Course Pre-requisites File
    • File
      Eventbrite instructions - in-person registration (Nov 14) File
      As of December 1 - Registration for in-person courses can no longer occur on this site.  Follow the instructions in this file to register on Eventbrite.  (afmtrain.eventbrite.ca)


    • Coming Soon - April 2025 (ish)

      We will no longer be able to use this platform for training. 
      All training will all be moved to Avenue to learn.

      We appreciate your patience as we move our training programs to new platforms.


    • File
      How to Book/Cancel Training (Until December 2024 courses) File

      Please read this document prior to registering for your training courses.

    • ON A WAITLIST?  (until December 2024 courses)

      • The only waitlist is online, and is limited to 1 or 2.
      • Still submit your DOT and complete the quiz as if you were in the course or you will be removed from the waitlist. There is always the chance that there could be a late cancellation.  You can also come to the course, in case someone does not show, or shows up late.  
      • In the case where there is more than one person on the waitlist, and both people show up, the first person will get the spot.  But if everyone from the course shows up, those on the waitlist will be turned away.  There are no guarantees.
      • Please ensure you sign up for the next available course, to ensure you have a secured spot in an offering.  
      • If you get off of the waitlist, please remove yourself from the future course you signed up for. 
          •  For example, you signed up for Level 2 on November 15th, and are 1st on the waitlist. You signed up for the course on December 1st so you had a secured reservation.  On November 11th, you see that you have moved out of the waitlist and have a secured spot in the course.  You would then go into your reservations and cancel yourself out of the course on December 1st. 
      • Please ensure you check your registration the day before the course to see if you have moved from the waitlist into an assured registered space in the course.  
      • You will NOT be notified if you have been moved from a waitlist spot into an assured registered space.