Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
- June 1, 2012 - Clarification of Position Statements on Implementation of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition. See NOT-OD-12-112.
- December 2, 2011 - See Notice NOT-OD-12-020. Adoption and Implementation of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition.
Release Date: June 9, 2011
NOT-OD-11-066:
Additional Extension of Comment Period on Proposed Adoption and Implementation
of the Guide for the Care
and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition and Removal of Character Limit
for Comments
NOT-OD-11-056:
Extended Comment Period on Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Guide for the Care and Use of
Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition
NOT-OD-11-042:
Public Comment Period Open on Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Guide for the Care and Use of
Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition
NOT-OD-10-102:
Update of the Guide for
the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
This notice is to announce that the comment period on NIH s proposed adoption and implementation of the eighth edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) closed on May 24, 2011.
OLAW is now reviewing comments submitted during the public comment period. When a thoughtful and in-depth analysis has been completed, comments will be posted on the OLAW website. Personally identifiable information (except organizational affiliations and addresses) will be removed prior to posting.
Also at that time, OLAW will issue position statement(s) that will be posted on the OLAW website and a 60 day public comment period will commence to permit the public to provide feedback regarding their understanding of the position statement(s). If OLAW decides to adopt the eighth edition of the Guide, an updated implementation plan will be posted on the OLAW website.
The Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Policy) requires that Assured institutions base their programs of animal care and use on the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. As of June 2011, and until notified of a change through the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, this guidance for Assured institutions refers to the seventh edition of the Guide. OLAW recognizes that the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALAC) will require accredited institutions (or those seeking accreditation) to evaluate their animal care and use programs according to the eighth edition of the Guide beginning in the fall of 2011. OLAW does not consider compliance with the eighth edition of the Guide to conflict with the seventh edition of the Guide.
OLAW appreciates the effort of the public in providing
numerous well-reasoned comments regarding the welfare of research animal
subjects and wishes to reassure the community that all comments are being
reviewed and considered.
On February 24, 2011, the NIH published a Federal Register Notice (PDF) to seek public comments on (1) NIH’s adoption of the eighth edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) as a basis for evaluation of institutional programs receiving or proposing to receive Public Health Service support for activities involving animals and (2) if NIH decides to adopt the eighth edition of the Guide, NIH’s proposed implementation plan which would require that institutions complete at least one semiannual program and facility evaluation using the eighth edition of the Guide as the basis for evaluation by March 31, 2012. A 30 day comment period was established upon publication of that notice, closing March 24, 2011. At the request of the public, the original comment period was extended an additional 30 days, closing April 24, 2011, as published in a Federal Register Notice (PDF). At the request of the public, the comment period was extended for an additional 30 days, closing on May 24, 2011. In addition, the character limit for public comments was removed, enabling the submission of a comment of unrestricted length.
For questions or further information, contact:
Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare
Office of Extramural Research
National Institutes of Health
RKL1, Suite 360
6705 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-7982
Phone: 301-496-7163
Fax: 301-915-9481
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://olaw.nih.gov/
and Human Services (HHS)
