Resources on the Web

Federal Agencies

• Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), National Institutes of Health
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Regulations, Policies, and Guidelines for Laboratory Animal Research

• Animal Welfare Act and USDA Regulations
• USDA Animal Care Policy Manual
• USDA Animal Welfare Compliance Inspection fact sheet
• USDA Reporting Adverse Events
• ARENA/OLAW IACUC Guidebook
• U.S. Government Principles for Utilization and Care of Vertebrate Animals Used in Testing, Research, and Training
• Health Research Extension Act of 1985, Animals in Research
• Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines on Euthanasia
• Guide for the Care and Use Laboratory Animals (2011)
• Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research (2003)
• Recognition and Alleviation of Distress in Laboratory Animals (Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, 2008)
• Recognition and Alleviation of Pain in Laboratory Animals (Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, 2009)
• Resource Book for the Design of Animal Exercise Protocols (The American Physiological Society, 2006)
• Guidelines to the Use of Wild Birds in Research
• Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research
• Guidelines for the Use of Fishes in Research
• Guidelines for the Use of Live Amphibians and Reptiles in Field and Laboratory Research

Accreditation

• Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC International)
• AAALAC Position Statements
• AAALAC Reference Resources

Alternatives

• The Search for Alternatives
• Recognizing Pain in Laboratory Animals (Institute for Laboratory Animal Research)

Research Application Preparation and Submission

• How to Write an Application Involving Research Animals (NIH/NIAID). Developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in conjunction with the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), this tutorial provides a step by step guide to the preparation of an application and covers such topics as considering alternatives, obtaining assurances and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval, Just-In-Time processes, NIH review of animal subjects applications, grant awards, IACUC monitoring of awards, and reporting requirements. Although designed specifically for NIAID applicants, the information is relevant to any investigator submitting an application to the NIH for an activity involving animals.
• Instructions for Completion and Peer Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section (VAS) in NIH Grant Applications and Cooperative Agreements (NIH/OLAW), March 2010. Clarifies the information that must be included in the VAS of grant applications and cooperative agreements that use live vertebrate animals in research. Explains how the VAS is evaluated as part of the NIH peer review process and is considered as part of the overall scoring.
• New Help for Writing Your Vertebrate Animal Section (NIH/OLAW).