PROCEDURES FOR ACCESSING REGIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTERS 

NIH GUIDE, Volume 26, Number 2, January 17, 1997

 

P.T. 04



Keywords:

  Grants Administration/Policy+ 

  Animal Breed. & Facil., Scientific 

  078000 

 

National Center for Research Resources

 

The purpose of this notice is to publicize standardized procedures

and criteria for utilizing the resources available through the seven

Regional Primate Research Centers (RPRCs) to conduct research

relevant to the missions of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The RPRCs, each of which is closely affiliated with an academic

institution, are a unique national network of nonhuman primate

research and resource centers for biomedical and behavioral

investigations.  These centers provide the appropriate environment

and resources for the development and study of nonhuman primate

models essential for clinical and basic research on human health

problems and disease processes.  Through support from the National

Center for Research Resources (NCRR), the centers provide specialized

research facilities, nonhuman primate resources, professional and

scientific staff, equipment, and technological expertise that enable

studies to be done by scientists who use these resources.  The

facilities and resources are thus shared by RPRC staff scientists, as

well as with investigators from other institutions across the

country.  The centers' specialized resources are intended to assist

investigators who receive their primary research funding from NIH,

but the centers may also host investigators who are funded by other

Federal, state and local agencies, as well as by research foundations

and the private sector.  There are over 19,000 animals, mostly

macaques, representing over 30 different species of nonhuman primates

at these centers.

 

Each of the RPRCs has a Visiting Scientist Program, which allows

advanced training and research in nonhuman primate biology.  In

addition, collaborative arrangements between investigators and center

scientific staff are encouraged and can be developed on studies

related to major human diseases, subject to the availability of

resources and center staff time.  Further, nonhuman primate blood

samples, organs, and biological fluids are available through the

RPRCs.  The following standardized criteria and procedures have been

implemented at each of the RPRCs to facilitate utilization of center

resources by research investigators:

 

Criteria:

 

o  The nature and scope of the proposed research must be best

conducted with nonhuman primates and compatible with available center

resources.

 

o  The proposed research must have high scientific merit as

determined by peer review.

 

o  NIH-funded research takes precedence over research activities

funded from other sources.

 

o  Grants must contain appropriate budgets for the RPRC portion,

including animal per diems, RPRC service charges, and related items.

Note that sharing of animals during experimentation, as well as the

return of the animals to the colony for future experimental use, are

contributing factors to the overall costs.

 

o  Resources, including animals, space, research services and support

must be available, and special requirements such as biosafety

facilities must be considered.

 

o  Because of potential contamination (e.g., viral, microbial, etc.),

movement of animals into or out of the RPRC facilities is not

allowed.  Thus, the proposed research using live animals must use

RPRC animals, and the research must be conducted at the RPRC.

 

Procedures for access:

 

1) An initial research proposal must be submitted by the researcher

to the director of a RPRC.  The director then consults with the

research services, veterinary, and colony management staff members at

the center to assess resource availability and project feasibility.

(Note that special requests or conditions regarding animals of

certain age, gender, weight, or other stipulations impact on the

RPRC's capability to meet the researcher's needs.)

 

2) Once resource availability and project feasibility are

established, the center staff will provide budget information to the

researcher regarding the center costs to be included in the formal

research proposal.

 

3) The scientific merit of the proposal must then be evaluated

through the NIH peer review process or through a similar process at

other agencies.  However, small pilot projects with other funding

sources may be considered.  In the latter cases, the peer review is

conducted by the RPRC director's Research Advisory Committee.

 

4) In addition to the scientific peer review, an approved protocol

from the investigator's as well as the RPRC institutional animal care

and use committees (IACUC) must be in place as well as protocols

established for any possible biosafety concerns.  (Note that these

issues can be addressed simultaneously with the scientific evaluation

but are frequently raised during the peer review process.)

 

5) Once the investigator has received notification of funding, the

center director should be immediately advised so that the resources

at the center may be reserved for the funded proposal.

 

6) Access to biological materials such as blood samples, organ

tissues, and biological fluids can be obtained by direct contact with

the directors and staff of the centers. Information on availability

of these materials can be located on NCRR's Home Page on the World

Wide Web site: http://www.ncrr.nih.gov

 

All publications resulting from research conducted at or with center

resources must bear an appropriate acknowledgment of center support.

 

INQUIRIES

 

For additional information about the Visiting Scientist Program and

resources available at a specific center, including applying to

utilize a center's resources, contact the center director noted

below.

 

Andrew G. Hendrickx, Ph.D., Director

California Regional Primate Research Center

University of California, Davis

Davis, CA  95616

Telephone:  (916) 752-0420

FAX:  (916) 752-8201

URL: http://www.primate.ucdavis.edu/crprc/homepage.html

 

Ronald D. Hunt, D.V.M., Director

New England Regional Primate Research Center

One Pine Hill Drive

Southborough, MA  01772

Telephone:  (508) 624-8002

FAX:  (508) 460-0612

 

M. Susan Smith, Ph.D., Director

Oregon Regional Primate Research Center

505 N.W. 185th Avenue

Beaverton, OR  97006

Telephone:  (503) 645-1141

FAX:  (503) 690-5532

URL:  http://www.teleport.com/~orprc

 

Peter J. Gerone, Sc.D., Director

Tulane Regional Primate Research Center

18703 Three Rivers Road

Covington, LA  70433

Telephone:  (504) 892-2040

FAX:  (504) 893-1352

URL:  http://www.tpc.tulane.edu

 

William R. Morton, V.M.D., Director

Washington Regional Primate Research Center

P.O. Box 357330

University of Washington

Seattle, WA  98195-7330

Telephone:  (206) 543-0440

FAX:  (206) 685-0305

 

Joseph W. Kemnitz, Ph.D., Interim Director

Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center

University of Wisconsin - Madison

1220 Capitol Court

Madison, WI  53715-1299

Telephone:  (608) 263-3500

FAX:  (608) 263-4031

URL:  http://www.primate.wisc.edu

 

Thomas R. Insel, M.D., Director

Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center

Emory University

954 Gatewood Road, N.E.

Atlanta, GA  30329

Telephone:  (404) 727-7707 & 727-7721

FAX:  (404) 727-0623

URL:  http://www.cc.emory.edu/YERKES/

 

Inquiries regarding the Regional Primate Research Center Program are

encouraged and may be directed to:

 

Jerry A. Robinson, Ph.D.

Director, Regional Primate Research Centers and AIDS Animal Models

Program

Comparative Medicine

National Center for Research Resources

6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 6030, MSC 7965

Bethesda, MD  20892-7965

Telephone:  (301) 435-0744

FAX:  (301) 480-3819

Email:  jerryR@ep.ncrr.nih.gov

 

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