Notice Number: NOT-OD-20-109
Key Dates
Release Date: May 21, 2020
NOT-OD-22-002 - Reminder: Annual Reports to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare due December 1, 2021
NOT-OD-21-003 - Reminder: Annual Reports to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare due December 1, 2020
NOT-OD-23-004 - Reminder: Annual Reports to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare due December 1, 2022
Issued by
Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (OD)
Purpose
This notice is to inform Assured institutions that the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) will change the reporting period for the Annual Report to OLAW to harmonize with the reporting period of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The reporting period will be aligned to the federal fiscal year instead of the current calendar year.
Background
The 21st Century Cures Act, Section 2034(d), directed the NIH, in collaboration with the USDA and FDA, to conduct a review of applicable regulations and policies for the care and use of laboratory animals and to make revisions, as appropriate, to reduce administrative burden on investigators while maintaining the integrity and credibility of research findings and protection of research animals. Harmonization of the annual reporting period between the NIH OLAW and the USDA was recommended by the Working Group of the 21st Century Cures Act and is included in the report, Reducing Administrative Burden for Researchers: Animal Care and Use in Research (PDF).
The Annual Report to OLAW
The reporting period for the Annual Report to OLAW for the year 2020 will harmonize with the USDA reporting period which is October 1 through September 30. Therefore, the Annual Report to OLAW for the federal fiscal year 2020, will cover the period January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 (a partial year) and will be due to OLAW on or before December 1, 2020. In subsequent years, the Annual Report will cover the period October 1 to September 30 due to OLAW on or before December 1.
The PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals section IV.F.1., 2., and 4. requires that at least once every 12 months the IACUC, through the Institutional Official (IO), must report to OLAW changes in the institution's program of animal care and use.
Information to be reported includes:
- Any change in the institution’s accreditation status
- Any change in the institution’s program of animal care and use or facilities
- Any change in the IO
- Any changes in the IACUC membership
- The dates that the IACUC conducted its semiannual evaluations of the program and facilities
- Any minority views filed by members of the IACUC
OLAW's Annual Report form is available at the following URL https://olaw.nih.gov/resources/documents/annual-report.htm, and the signed Annual Report should be submitted in PDF format to olawarp@mail.nih.gov.
Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)
Telephone: 301-496-7163
Email: olaw@mail.nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
