Posted: July 31, 2009

A SCAW IACUC-Advanced Workshop will be held on September 11, 2009 in Beaverton, Oregon. The Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (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.

SCAW will host the program with support from the Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, NIH OLAW and USDA APHIS Animal Care. For program, registration and accommodation information, visit http://www.scaw.com/iacuc-advanced.htm.

Posted: July 23, 2009

OLAW has a Topic Index – a new online resource to OLAW Guidance by subject matter. You can now browse and search OLAW responses to Frequently Asked Questions, Commentaries and Articles written by OLAW staff, plus Policy Notices published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. The Topic Index can be found on the OLAW homepage under Guidance.

Posted: July 17, 2009

Sleep-Disordered Breathing: Exploring a Human Disorder Using Animal Models
Issue Co-Editor: Estelle B. Gauda

"Sleep-disordered breathing—and in particular, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)—and its comorbidities have a major impact both on individual health and on health care systems in general. The use of animal models is essential as investigators continue to learn about OSA and advance the transition from identifying mechanisms of injury to developing therapeutic interventions."

Posted: July 7, 2009

OLAW has developed an online forum for participants and viewers of the Online Seminars. If you have participated in the Online Seminar, “What Every IACUC Should Know About AAALAC International”, or watched the recording, you may now submit comments and questions online. OLAW will compile comments, answer questions and post relevant material on the OLAW website. The comment period for this seminar is open until August 15, 2009. The link to the forum can be found on the Education Resources page by clicking on the seminar title.

Posted: June 29, 2009

OLAW has updated their guidance to IACUCs regarding the use of Designated Member Review (DMR) to review animal study protocols subsequent to Full Committee Review (FCR). This guidance can be found in Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) 19 under the Protocol Review section on the OLAW web page http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/faqs.htm#proto_19.

For questions, suggestions or comments, email to olaw@od.nih.gov.

Posted: June 17, 2009

A recording of the OLAW IACUC Staff Online Seminar, "What Every IACUC Should Know About AAALAC International", held June 11, 2009 is now available. The seminar recording can be found on the OLAW Education Resources page.

Posted: June 4, 2009

Christian E. Newcomer, V.M.D., Executive Director, AAALAC International, will be the guest speaker for both seminars.
 
IACUC Staff Seminar – June 11, 2 to 3 pm (Eastern time) - “What Every IACUC Should Know About AAALAC International”. This free seminar is tailored to IACUC staff members. Registration is limited to one connection per PHS Assured institution. Visit the IACUC Staff Online Seminar page for registration and program information.
 
IO Seminar – June 11, Noon to 1 pm (Eastern time) - “What Every IO Should Know About AAALAC International”. This free seminar is limited to Institutional Officials (IOs) and their guests at PHS Assured institutions. Visit the IO Online Seminar page for registration and program information.
 
Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance by email to olaw@od.nih.gov
 
Note: Registration for OLAW Online Seminars remains valid for future events.  Participants who registered for previous Seminars and already have web meeting accounts do not need to re-register. For more information contact OLAW at 301-496-7163 or email to olaw@od.nih.gov.

Posted: May 29, 2009

Experts convened by the National Academy of Sciences recently concluded that “all vertebrates should be considered capable of experiencing the aversive state of pain.” Minimizing animal pain, wherever possible, is important both ethically and legally. The National Academies have developed a free online resource to help those who care for and use laboratory animals, farm animals, and pets to prevent, recognize, and alleviate pain in different types of animals, from non-human primates to fish. Visit this online resource at http://nas.edu/pain.

Posted: May 11, 2009

A SCAW IACUC-Advanced Workshop will be held on June 15, 2009 in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (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.

SCAW will host the program with support from NIH OLAW, USDA APHIS Animal Care, and GlaxoSmithKline. For program, registration and accommodation information, visit http://www.scaw.com/iacuc-advanced.htm.

Posted: May 1, 2009

OLAW reminds grantee institutions that the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals requires PHS Assured institutions to “have a disaster plan that takes into account both personnel and animals.” Guidance can be found on the OLAW website in the Frequently Asked Questions section, question 9, under Institutional Responsibilities. For detailed information on H1N1 Influenza, see http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.

Posted: April 28, 2009

IACUC 101 and 201 PLUS Workshops will be held on June 24 and 25, 2009 in Niagara Falls, New York.

IACUC 101 – "The Basics" – is a full day didactic and interactive educational program designed to provide Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members, administrators, veterinarians, animal care staff, researchers, regulatory personnel and compliance officers with information on the role and responsibilities of IACUCs, including an understanding of federal policies and regulations governing laboratory animal welfare.

IACUC 201 PLUS – "The Process PLUS Select Topics" – is a highly interactive program that takes the fundamentals of IACUC 101 and applies them to the process and mechanisms of ensuring compliance. The morning and afternoon sessions are divided into 3 tracks based on an individual’s IACUC role, responsibility, and interests. Track topics are customized to include subjects of timely interest. The program concludes with open questions and answers to representatives of OLAW, USDA, and AAALAC.

The Roswell Park Cancer Institute will host the programs with support from NIH OLAW, USDA APHIS Animal Care, and AAALAC. For program, registration and accommodation information, visit http://www.roswellpark.org/IACUC2009.

Posted: April 1, 2009

Gene Therapy in Large Animal Models of Human Genetic Diseases
Issue editor: John H. Wolfe

"The structure and function of most genes in animals are homologous to those in humans, thus many genetic diseases that occur in humans also occur in animals. Gene mutations usually cause similar biochemical dysfunctions, resulting in pathologic changes at the molecular, cellular, organ, and organism levels. For these reasons, the knowledge gained through research in animals can be of direct benefit to human as well as animal health."

Posted: March 11, 2009

A recording of the OLAW IACUC Staff Online Seminar, “Reporting Noncompliant Events to OLAW”, held March 5, 2009 is now available. The seminar recording can be found on the OLAW IACUC Staff Outreach page

Posted: January 26, 2009

The Neurobiology of Social Behavior
Issue editor: Scott Wersinger

"The articles in this issue give the reader an appreciation for the complexity of social behavior in all organisms, both in and outside the laboratory. The general principles illustrated by the specific examples apply to many other species, including other common laboratory animals. The experiences and insights presented here can help the reader to be more cognizant of the multitude of factors that influence social behavior but are beyond human senses and consciousness, and of the potentially dramatic impacts of these factors on the behavior and physiology of laboratory animals. Although the practical considerations discussed in this issue are in the context of social behavior, they also apply to many other fields and may usefully guide general husbandry practices in existing facilities and the design of new facilities."

Posted: January 16, 2009

A new Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) has been posted on the OLAW website at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/faqs.htm#protocol. This FAQ provides guidance on the topic “Does the IACUC have to review proposed animal research activities at the time of grant award if the animal research activities will not be conducted until year 4 or 5 of a grant?”

Posted: January 13, 2009

Guidance to IACUCs Regarding Use of Designated Member Review (DMR) for Animal Study Proposal Review Subsequent to Full Committee Review (FCR), has been published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on January 8, 2009, NOT-OD-09-035. This Notice provides guidance to PHS awardee institutions on actions an IACUC may take following FCR. A related Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) has been posted in the Protocol Review section on the OLAW web page http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/faqs.htm#protocol.

Posted: January 8, 2009

Annual Reports for the period January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 will be due to OLAW no later than January 31, 2009. In accordance with the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on the Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Policy), Part IV.F., and each Institution’s Animal Welfare Assurance, each institution is required to submit a written report to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) at least once every twelve (12) months. Reporting periods coincide with the calendar year, unless a request was made in writing to OLAW for an alternate reporting schedule.   

Information to be reported consists of any change in the institution’s program of animal care and use, a change in the Institutional Official or IACUC membership, the dates that the IACUC conducted its semiannual evaluations of the program and facilities, and any minority IACUC member views. Only three attachments are required to accompany the annual report:

1. Roster of the IACUC members, only if there has been a change to the membership
2. Summary of any program changes
3. Any minority IACUC member view

If there have been no other changes to the animal program, then no other program elements are needed for the Annual Report. Please do not send semi-annual reports with the Annual Report unless they include a minority opinion (for guidance on minority views, see OLAW's Frequently Asked Question [http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/faqs.htm#report_6]). A Sample Annual Report Form can be found at the following URL on the OLAW website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/sampledoc/rptprt.htm.If you have any questions regarding your report, please contact OLAW at 301-496-7163.  
Annual Reports can be mailed, faxed or submitted electronically. OLAW prefers that the Annual Reports be faxed because our electronic fax system converts them to a PDF document for more efficient processing. The fax number for submitting the Annual Report is 301-915-9478. If you choose to submit your report by e-mail, please convert your signed Annual Report to PDF and e-mail to olawarp@mail.nih.gov. If you choose to send by mail, UPS or FedEx, please send to:
                    
OLAW Division of Assurances 
National Institutes of Health 
RLK 1, Suite 360 
6705 Rockledge Drive 
Bethesda, MD 20817

Note: For help accessing PDF, RTF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, RealPlayer, Video or Flash files, see Help Downloading Files.