NIH has simplified the Vertebrate Animals Section (VAS) of grant applications, cooperative agreements, and contract proposals to remove redundancy with IACUC review while meeting the requirements of the PHS Policy. Changes include:
- Guidance on criteria to be addressed has been updated
- Description of veterinary care is no longer required
- Justification for the number of animals has been eliminated
- Description and justification of the method of euthanasia is required only if the method is not consistent with AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals