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AWIC Workshop & Trainings

Meeting the Information Requirements of the Animal Welfare Act

This in-person workshop is intended for the regulated community (any personnel working with animals in research, testing, or education) and is typically held at the National Agricultural Library (NAL) in Beltsville, Maryland. However, due to COVID-19, AWIC is offering this workshop through a virtual platform. 

      About the Workshop

      The regulations of the AWA require that investigators provide Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) with documentation demonstrating that alternatives to procedures that may cause more than momentary pain or distress to the animals have been considered and that activities do not unnecessarily duplicate previous experiments. A thorough literature search regarding alternatives meets this Federal mandate. An alternative is any procedure which results in the reduction in the numbers of animals used, refinement of techniques, or replacement of animals.

      The objectives of the workshop are to provide:

      • An overview of the AWA and its information requirements;
      • A review of the 3Rs alternatives concept;;
      • A comprehensive introduction to NAL, AWIC and other organizations;
      • Instruction on the use of existing information databases/networks; and
      • On-line database searching experience.
      Customizable (virtual) Training/Workshops

      A free resource that AWIC recently made available is customizable (virtual) training/workshops upon request. These presentations can provide a general summary of meeting the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) or focus on specific topics such as the history of the AWA, 3Rs alternatives, or how to conduct a literature search. Contact us to find out more about how we can tailor a presentation for your organization! 

      Online Self-Paced Workshop

      AWIC's online workshop provides the flexibility of self-paced learning to help Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members, researchers, veterinarians, information providers, and institutional officials fully understand and meet the information requirements of the Animal Welfare Act and Regulations.