Posted: May 10, 2012

An updated transcript of the OLAW Webinar, “Use of Non-Pharmaceutical-Grade Chemicals and Other Substances in Research with Animals”, held March 1, 2012 has been posted on the OLAW website. The update includes additional submitted questions and comments that were not addressed during the live broadcast with responses from OLAW, USDA and AAALAC. The transcript, recording and supporting materials can be found on the Education Resources page.

Posted: May 3, 2012

IACUC 101/201 PLUS Workshops will be held June 13-14, 2012 in Virginia Beach, VA. Support for this program was provided in part by the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare.

IACUC 101 is a one-day didactic and interactive exploration of IACUC fundamentals appropriate for new and seasoned IACUC members, IACUC affiliates, and individuals responsible for their institution's animal care program. The course provides a basic yet comprehensive overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the humane care and use of research animals.

IACUC 201 PLUS is highly interactive advanced program that builds upon the fundamentals learned in IACUC 101, applying them to the process and mechanisms of ensuring compliance. The program includes six workshops delivered to three audience tracks based on IACUC role, responsibility, and interests. Workshops address protocol review, program review, facility inspection plus additional timely topics. The program also includes a complex faculty scenario that combines multiple IACUC challenges.

Posted: April 25, 2012

Recordings of OLAW webinars and supporting materials are posted on the Education Resources webpage. Here you will find 2 new webinars. On April 19, OLAW presented “Performance Standards” as part of the Online Seminars series for IACUCs and IOs. View this webinar to learn about developing and applying performance standards as recommended in the 8^th Edition of the Guide, including considerations for social housing and enrichment, plus cage/pen space. On April 18, OLAW presented “Research Involving Animals” at the NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration. This webinar provides guidance to grants administrators, researchers new to NIH funding, and graduate students on policies related to research activities involving animals.

Posted: April 20, 2012

Guidelines for Safe Work Practices in Human and Animal Diagnostic Laboratories was published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Supplement, Vol. 61, 2012. These guidelines address the unique needs of human and animal diagnostic laboratories. To view or download the guide, go to http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/ind2012_su.html.

Posted: April 17, 2012

On May 10, 2012 in Pennington, NJ, the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research (NJABR) will present Unraveling Cyno DNA: Mapping a Path to Better Research Models, a conference for investigators working with nonhuman primate models. For program and registration information, visit http://njabr.com/events/current-events/unraveling-cyno-dna-mapping-a-path-to-better-research-models/. 

Posted: April 13, 2012

Meeting the Information Requirements of the Animal Welfare Act: A Workshop

The USDA Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) teaches a one and a half day workshop at the National Agricultural Library (NAL) in Beltsville, Maryland for individuals who are responsible for providing information to meet the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The workshop is targeted for principal investigators, members of IACUCs, information providers, administrators of animal use programs, and veterinarians.

Course objectives are to provide:

• Overview of the AWA and its information requirements
• Review of the alternatives concept
• Introduction to NAL, AWIC and other organizations
• Instruction on the use of existing information databases/networks
• On-line database searching experience

The next workshop is May 9-10, 2012 in Beltsville, MD. For more information, go to http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/awicworkshops/regform.htm.

Posted: April 10, 2012

Visit the Guidance section on the OLAW website for updated Commentary on Lab Animal Protocol Review columns. “A word from OLAW” responds to the topic “Amending a protocol to import and breed knockout mice” in the April 2012 issue.

Click to download the column: Lab Animal 2012; 41(04). (PDF - 155 KB)

To further explore this and other topics, browse the OLAW Topic Index. For additional information, visit OLAW.

Posted: April 5, 2012

OLAW has updated the Useful Links webpage. Here you will find a new section on ethics, a listing of publications and reports by topic, plus many more useful references. For additional information, visit OLAW.

Posted: April 3, 2012

Join us for a special webinar: “Performance Standards” on April 19, 2012 at 1:00 PM ET. Presenters are Janet C. Garber, DVM, PhD, Garber Consulting and Susan Silk, MS, Division of Policy and Education, OLAW, NIH. Dr. Garber was the chair of the expert committee that developed the 8th Edition of the Guide. The webinar will focus on development and application of performance standards as recommended in the Guide, including considerations for social housing and environmental enrichment, plus cage/pen space.

Posted: March 30, 2012

The IACUC Administrators Association (IAA) will be presenting a Best Practices Meeting on May 30-31, 2012 in Denver, CO. This 2-day meeting is for IACUC staff and animal program operations personnel to present and share best practices in the humane care and use of laboratory animals. For more information, visit IAA  or email wgg3@psu.edu.

Posted: March 26, 2012

On May 2-3, 2012 in Research Triangle Park, NC, the North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research (NCABR) will present IACUC 2012, a conference for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members and administrators, attending veterinarians, regulatory personnel, principal investigators, and laboratory animal care staff who are interpreting and implementing the Guide for the Care of Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition. For program and registration information, visit http://www.ncabr.org/iacuc. 

Posted: March 15, 2012

The Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW) will present an IACUC Training Workshop on April 30, 2012 in Baltimore, MD. SCAW developed this one-day educational workshop for experienced Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members and administrators, principal investigators, attending veterinarians, regulatory personnel, and laboratory animal care staff. The program focuses on topics such as advanced protocol review and provides opportunities for small discussion groups and sharing of information among participants.

Posted: March 13, 2012

Conditional Allele Mouse Planner (CAMP) is a software program to help scientists set up a breeding strategy and calculate the costs of generating mice with conditional alleles. The software was created at the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and published in Transgenic Res. 2011 Aug 26 [Epub ahead of print]. To access the free application, go to http://helixweb.nih.gov/CAMP/.

Posted: March 8, 2012

Notice of a change in the criteria for renewing the Animal Welfare Assurance for Foreign Institutions (Foreign Assurance) has been published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on March 8, 2012, NOT-OD-12-081. Previously, Foreign Assurances were renewed, regardless of funding, every five years, provided that the institution submitted a renewal Foreign Assurance document to OLAW prior to the expiration date. Under the new criteria, Foreign Assurances are renewed only if the institution has current PHS funding.

For questions or further information, e-mail olawdoa@od.nih.gov.

Posted: March 6, 2012

A recording of the OLAW Online Seminar, “Use of Non-Pharmaceutical-Grade Chemicals and Other Substances in Research with Animals”, held March 1, 2012 has been posted on the OLAW website. The seminar recording and supporting materials can be found on the Education Resources page.

Posted: March 2, 2012

An IACUC 101 Workshop will be held April 11, 2012 in Irvine, CA. Support for this program was provided in part by the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare.

IACUC 101 is a one-day didactic and interactive exploration of IACUC fundamentals appropriate for new and seasoned IACUC members, IACUC affiliates, and individuals responsible for their institution's animal care program. The course provides a basic yet comprehensive overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the humane care and use of research animals.

Program information – For program, registration and accommodation information, see https://www.123signup.com/event?id=cdqhz.

Posted: February 27, 2012

Visit the Guidance section on the OLAW website for updated Commentary on Lab Animal Protocol Review columns. “A word from OLAW and USDA” responds to the topic “Disagreement between IO and IACUC” in the March 2012 issue.

Click to download the column: Lab Animal 2012; 41(03). (PDF - 181 KB)

Posted: February 21, 2012

Join us for a webinar – Use of Non-Pharmaceutical-Grade Chemicals and Other Substances in Research with Animals – March 1, 2012 at 1:00 PM ET. Presenters are Patricia Brown, VMD, MS, DACLAM, OLAW, NIH, Carol Clarke, DVM, DACLAM, Animal Care, APHIS, USDA, and Christian Newcomer, VMD, DACLAM, AAALAC International.

Posted: February 13, 2012

Meeting the Information Requirements of the Animal Welfare Act: A Workshop

The USDA Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) teaches a one and a half day workshop at the National Agricultural Library (NAL) in Beltsville, Maryland for individuals who are responsible for providing information to meet the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The workshop is targeted for principal investigators, members of IACUCs, information providers, administrators of animal use programs, and veterinarians.

Course objectives are to provide:

• Overview of the AWA and its information requirements
• Review of the alternatives concept
• Introduction to NAL, AWIC and other organizations
• Instruction on the use of existing information databases/networks
• On-line database searching experience

Posted: February 2, 2012

Preparing the Vertebrate Animal Section (VAS) – is a new factsheet developed by OLAW to assist applicants in completing the VAS of grant applications, contract proposals and cooperative agreements for submission to the NIH. Here you will find an overview of the requirements for each of the 5 points of the VAS. The VAS factsheet can be found on the OLAW homepage under Fast Facts or downloaded at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/VASfactsheet_v12.pdf (PDF).

Posted: January 31, 2012

On March 2, 2012 in Somerset, NJ, the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research (NJABR) will present Advancing Technology & The 3Rs, a conference for “sharing strategies that advance bioscience and animal welfare.”

Posted: January 30, 2012

Due to recent website accessibility issues, the comment period on OLAW Position Statements has been extended to February 3, 2012. Comments may be submitted at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/2011positionstatement_comments/add.htm.

Posted: January 27, 2012

Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) will present an IACUC 101 workshop on March 19 and the 2012 IACUC Conference on March 20-21, 2012 in Boston, MA.

IACUC 101 is a one-day didactic and interactive exploration of IACUC fundamentals appropriate for new and seasoned IACUC members, IACUC affiliates, and individuals responsible for their institution's animal care program. The course provides a basic yet comprehensive overview of the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the humane care and use of research animals.

PRIM&R 2012 IACUC Conference – “Assuring Compliance While Facilitating Research: Keeping a Healthy Tension” – marks the 30^th anniversary of PRIM&R’s hosting conferences in the field of animal research. This two-day conference will include a range of keynote addresses, panels, workshops, and didactic sessions, designed to help build and strengthen an effective animal care and use program.

Program information – For program, registration, and accommodation information, visit http://www.primr.org/conferences.aspx?id=12057. 

Posted: January 24, 2012

The Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW) will present an IACUC Training Workshop on March 9, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. SCAW developed this one-day educational workshop for Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members and administrators, principal investigators, attending veterinarians, regulatory personnel and laboratory animal care staff. The program focuses on specific topics that are relevant to IACUC functions and provides opportunities for small discussion groups and sharing of information among participants.

Posted: January 20, 2012

Visit the Guidance section on the OLAW website for updated Commentary on Lab Animal Protocol Review columns. “A word from OLAW and USDA” responds to the topic “IACUC approval of SOPs” in the February 2012 issue.

Click to download the column: Lab Animal 2012; 41(02). (PDF - 98 KB)

To further explore this and other topics, browse the OLAW Topic Index. For additional information, visit OLAW.

Posted: January 18, 2012

OLAW has developed a new online resource – Obtaining an Assurance – to assist PHS awardee institutions in obtaining an Animal Welfare Assurance (Assurance). Here you will find an overview of the criteria and the process for obtaining an Assurance, a description of each type of Assurance, plus where to go for more information. The new Obtaining an Assurance webpage can be found on the OLAW homepage under Fast Facts or go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/obtain_assurance.htm.

Posted: January 12, 2012

The Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR) is presenting the “2012 IACUC Regional Education Conference” on February 24, 2012 in Seattle, Washington. The one-day conference will bring together IACUC members, administrators, veterinarians, researchers and laboratory animal care staff. There will be interactive discussions for new and experienced IACUC members, opportunities to ask questions of regulatory officials, and networking time with colleagues. For conference highlights and registration information, visit http://www.nwabr.org/members/iacuc. 

Posted: January 10, 2012

Animal Models of Drug Addictions: High Hopes for Therapeutic Treatments 

The articles in this issue highlight the remarkable advances in the field of addiction research, drawing from a broad array of studies that have used animal models to elucidate brain mechanisms, structural and functional alterations, and associated behavioral changes. The strength and significance of these studies lie in the accuracy with which they model the clinical condition and thus contribute to effective translation. The authors also note some of the challenges and opportunities in the science of drug abuse and treatment of addiction.

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