AAALAC Survey
The Survey team reported that NIH has an impressive animal care & use program. Facilities play an essential role in the animal care & use programs here at NIH and there are countless ORF personnel responsible for achieving this goal. Especially appreciated are the folks in DPM and OA who supported this effort.
BSL3 Team wins FDA's "Commissioner's Award of Excellence"
At the 13th Annual Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of the Commissioner Honor Awards Ceremony on June 27, a group comprised of FDA and NIH employees received an award of excellence for their design and construction of an enhanced BSL-3 (Biosafety Level 3) research laboratory in Building 29A on the NIH campus.
New ANSI/AIHA Z9.11-2008 Laboratory Decommissioning
AIHA has just published ANSI/AIHA Z9.11−2008 Laboratory Decommissioning by the ANSI/AIHA Z9.11 Subcommittee. ORF initiated the development of this standard in April 2005. The Z9.11 subcommittee was chartered to develop guidelines on decommissioning a research laboratory whenever laboratory spaces are to be renovated or demolished with a special emphasis on the risk assessment process.
NIH Earth Day Contest Inspires Student Interest and Research
Representatives from NIH present plaque and congratulations to Tay Davis, first student winner of the “Name IT Contest” at a ceremony held at the high school on August 15, 2008. The NIH representatives were quite impressed by her sleuthing efforts and how she came up with the correct answer.
ORF Laboratory Building Deconstruction Process Earns NIH Prestigious ‘Green’ Award
The NIH, through the Office of Research Facilities, was awarded the 2008 Beyond GreenTM High-Performance Building Award by the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) for its work in integrating cost-effective methods to remove hazardous waste from other debris in laboratory renovation and demolition activities.
Senators Tour New NIH Research Facility
Maryland Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin on June 2, 2008 visited NIH's newest research facility, the Biomedical Research Center (BRC) in Baltimore, to support and promote scientific research. The senators' visit was a celebration of the BRC, and, more broadly, the NIH scientific enterprise.
