Posted: May 3, 2013

Nature Announcement: Reducing our Irreproducibility 

Nature introduces editorial measures to improve consistency and quality of reporting in life-sciences articles. Central to this initiative is a checklist intended to prompt authors to disclose technical and statistical information in their submissions, and to encourage referees to consider aspects important for research reproducibility. The checklist includes information to be provided for animal studies and recommends consulting the ARRIVE  guidelines for reporting animal experiments. Download the Reporting Checklist For Life Sciences Articles (PDF) or learn more at Reporting Life Sciences Research (PDF).

Posted: April 19, 2013

The IACUC Administrators Association (IAA) will be presenting a Best Practices Meeting on May 29-30, 2013 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 , download the agenda (PDF), or email wgg3@psu.edu.

Posted: April 17, 2013

IACUC 101/301 Workshops will be held June 5-6, 2013 in St. Louis, MO. Learn more at IACUC 101. 

IACUC 101: The Basics 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.

Posted: April 5, 2013

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 “Communication between collaborating IACUCs.” in the April 2013 issue. Click to download the column: Lab Animal 2013; 42(04). (PDF)

Posted: March 22, 2013

On March 22, 2013, the NIH published a Federal Register Notice on Implementation of the Updated American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (FR Doc# 2013-06661 - PDF). This Notice provides guidance to Public Health Service awardee institutions on implementation of the 2013 Edition of the Guidelines (PDF). The NIH is seeking input from the public on any concerns they may have regarding the updated Guidelines. Public comments must be submitted electronically on or before May 31, 2013: Submit comments.

Posted: March 13, 2013

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 “Should ‘duplicative research’ still be reviewed?” in the March 2013 issue. Click to download the column: Lab Animal 2013; 42(03). (PDF - 246 KB)

Posted: March 11, 2013

A recording of the OLAW Online Seminar, “Disaster Planning”, held March 7, 2013 has been posted on the OLAW website. View the webinar to learn about how your institution can prepare for natural and other disasters that may impact animal care and use programs. The recording and supporting materials can be found on the Education Resources webpage.

Posted: March 1, 2013

Implementation of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals: 2013 Edition has been published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on March 1, 2013, NOT-OD-13-048. This Notice provides guidance to Public Health Service (PHS) awardee institutions on implementation of the 2013 Guidelines.

OLAW encourages PHS-Assured institutions to begin using the 2013 Guidelines when reviewing research projects as soon as possible, and expects full implementation after September 1, 2013. Previously approved projects undergoing continuing review according to PHS Policy, IV.C.5., which requires a complete de novo review at least once every 3 years, must be reviewed using the 2013 Guidelines after September 1, 2013.

The NIH is seeking input from the public on any concerns they may have regarding the updated Guidelines. Public comments must be submitted electronically at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/2013avmaguidelines_comments/add.cfm?ID=32. Comments must be received on or before May 31, 2013.

Posted: February 28, 2013

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has issued and posted an update to the 2007 Guidelines on Euthanasia with a new title, AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals: 2013 Edition. To access the Guidelines and an executive summary, see https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Euthanasia-Guidelines.aspx.  An announcement from OLAW on implementation of the updated Guidelines is coming soon.

Posted: February 26, 2013

The Guide requires that institutions develop disaster plans that take into account both the well-being of animals and consideration of personnel during unexpected events that compromise ongoing animal care (See OLAW FAQ G3). Join OLAW on March 7 from 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET for a webinar “Disaster Planning” to learn about how your institution can prepare for natural and other disasters that may impact animal care and use programs. Guest speaker Stephen Durkee will provide best practice insights into developing a disaster plan compliant with the Guide.

Posted: February 21, 2013

Notice of Change to Electronic Submission of Final Noncompliance Reports to OLAW has been published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on February 21, 2013, NOT-OD-13-044. This Notice announces that OLAW is transitioning to electronic submission of final noncompliance reports instead of paper submission by postal or express mail delivery. Effective immediately, institutions are requested to submit signed final reports electronically to the Division of Compliance Oversight either by email (olawdco@mail.nih.gov) in PDF format or by fax (301-480-3387). Beginning December 31, 2013, OLAW will no longer accept paper reports.

Posted: February 8, 2013

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 March 20-21, 2013 in Beltsville, MD. Learn more at http://awic.nal.usda.gov/workshops.

Posted: February 5, 2013

OLAW has updated the Departures from the Guide webpage. The updates include clarification in the “Reporting requirements” section for should statements in the Guide plus acknowledgement of contributors to the flow chart.

Posted: February 1, 2013

Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) will present an IACUC 101 workshop on March 17 and the 2013 IACUC Conference on March 18-19, 2013 in Baltimore, MD.

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 2013 IACUC Conference “Research Animal Oversight: Creating a Collaborative and Cooperative Culture” is two-day conference that 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.

Posted: January 24, 2013

NIH and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have participated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Concerning Laboratory Animal Welfare for more than a decade. The agencies share a common interest in the care and welfare of laboratory animals used in research and testing. This agreement sets forth procedures for cooperation to assist each agency in meeting its responsibilities to ensure appropriate laboratory animal care and welfare. The new MOU is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/mou_olaw.htm

Posted: January 18, 2013

OLAW has posted a flow chart as an added tool for Assured institutions in meeting the reporting requirements for departures from the Guide. The chart is available for download on the Departures from the Guide webpage. Here you will also find detailed guidance on the reporting requirements plus useful examples.

Posted: January 16, 2013

The Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR) will present the 2013 IACUC Regional Education Conference on February 25, 2013 in Seattle, WA. The conference brings together IACUC members, staff, veterinarians and researchers for a one-day conference focused on IACUC training, presentations from national speakers, interaction with representatives from USDA, OLAW and AAALAC International, and networking opportunities with colleagues. For more information, visit http://nwabr.org/members/areas-emphasis/research-animals/iacuc-conference-seattle. 

Posted: January 7, 2013

A Guide to the Behavior & Enrichment of Laboratory Rodents is now available from Charles River. This is a resource for those looking to implement or enhance an existing behavioral husbandry and enrichment program. Learn more at http://www.criver.com/en-US/NewsEvents/WhatsNew/Pages/Guide_Behavior_Enrichment_Laboratory_Rodents.aspx.