September 29, 2016
At the end of August, the Animal Care & Use Leadership Team submitted its latest progress report to the
AAALAC Council on Accreditation
. In addition to outlining the U-M Animal Care & Use Program's many achievements in recent months, the report also underscored the University's ongoing commitment to improve upon the humane and responsible care and use of animals.
Specific programmatic updates included:
- An outline of new program metrics, including those for Program Compliance, Occupational Safety and Environmental Health (OSEH) for Animal Users, and Protocol Turnaround Times.
- Additional staffing resources and updates such as the establishment of a Quality Assurance Division in the Animal Care & Use Office, the hiring of three new ULAM faculty veterinarians, and additional animal husbandry staff.
- An increased emphasis on training and education that includes the development
of novel training strategies and techniques for all animal users through both online and interactive courses that focus on topics such as federal regulations, species-specific characteristics, and laboratory techniques.
A response from AAALAC is expected later this fall. We will continue to provide the research community with programmatic updates as they become available. It is important to note that throughout these discussions with AAALAC, the University of Michigan has remained an accredited institution.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding AAALAC or our accreditation status, please contact the Animal Care & Use Office at
ACUOffice@umich.edu or (734) 763-8028.
We thank you for your continued dedication to excellence and compassion in all aspects of your work, and to all animals under our care.
Latest Animal Care & Use Program Activities:
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New IACUC Policy on Non-Compliance Goes Into Effect October 1
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All Principal Investigators with previous incidents will be given a "clean slate" upon the policy's implementation.
About the Policy
As part of the new policy, a combination of tactics, including but not limited to: formal notices, training, and (when necessary) punitive measures will be used to mitigate incidents of non-compliance. Actions taken to minimize occurrences of non-compliance will be based on:
- The seriousness of the incident and/or
- The number of incidents that occur on all protocols under the direction of the PI
The cornerstone of this policy is a program-wide commitment to transparency through more clearly defined roles/responsibilities and a three-step corrective action escalation process pertaining to the investigation, and confirmation of, non-compliance and animal welfare concerns reported within our research community.
Next Steps
The complete policy should also be reviewed, and is available for download here.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Animal Care & Use Office at
ACUOffice@umich.edu
or (734) 763-8028.
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New Training Reports Now Available in eRAM
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We are pleased to announce that three animal care and use training reports are now available in eRAM. These reports may be printed/downloaded as noted below, and are updated every 24 hours (overnight).
Personal Training Report
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Location
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Visibility
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Description
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Uses
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Found in Personal Workspace |
Individual user only |
Displays required training due AND that individual's completed training record |
Useful to check the status of your individual training record and/or any required training that is due |
Protocol Training Reports
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Location
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Visibility
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Description
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Uses
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Found in Protocol Workspace |
Visible to the PI and Lab Contact(s) |
Displays IACUC-required training due for ALL individuals on a protocol |
Useful as a snapshot of training activity for the protocol |
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Found in Protocol Workspace |
Visible to the PI and Lab Contact(s) |
Displays IACUC-required training due AND completed training records for ALL individuals on a protocol |
Useful for cases such as grants, where evidence of training completion is required |
A Reminder to Remove Exited Personnel from Protocols
IACUC-required training is based on the roles and responsibilities designated in a person's handling details.
If an individual has left your laboratory or the University, they will continue to receive ULAM training assignments and system-generated emails until they are removed from your protocol.
Please remove any personnel who no longer work in your laboratory from your IACUC-approved protocol.
This will prevent issues that may arise with personnel training non-compliance on the protocol and eliminate system-generated training notifications.
Note that the Principal Investigator (PI) or protocol editor may create a Personnel Amendment, but ONLY the PI may submit the amendment. Instructions on how to remove personnel via amendment are available in this
Create an Amendment in eRAM Help Document.
Questions regarding protocol procedures and IACUC training requirements should be directed to the Animal Care & Use Office at
ACUOffice@umich.edu
or (734) 763-8028.
General training questions should be directed to the ULAM Training Core via email or phone at
(734) 763-8039.
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Zachary T. Freeman Joins ULAM Faculty
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Zachary T. Freeman, D.V.M., Ph.D., joined the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) as a faculty veterinarian in early September. Dr. Freeman received his Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also completed his postdoctoral fellowship in laboratory animal medicine.
Prior to his time at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Freeman served as a Research Associate in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology and as a Research Fellow in the Department of Anatomy at Colorado State University, where he earned his D.V.M. in 2011. His research interests include development of novel immunotherapy and understanding immunology as a variable in animal models.
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A Reminder About Important Upcoming Deadlines
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Keeping track of deadlines can be challenging. That's why we've compiled a list of several important upcoming deadlines affecting the animal care and use community.
For your convenience, contact information and additional resources are also provided below.
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Hazardous Agents Administration SOP Implementation Date
MSRB, BSRB, Brehm, Cancer Center
The "Animals Administered a Hazardous Substance Requiring Containment" Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has undergone several important updates. Everyone who is, or will be, performing procedures that involve the handling of animals or animal equipment contaminated with hazardous agents must read the SOP in its entirety.
Staff in the facilities listed above must be compliant by September 15. Click here for more information.
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Training Requirement Deadline
Personnel (Last Name A - I)
All laboratory personnel working under an approved IACUC protocol are required to complete the MLearning online class ULAM-60000 Orientation for Animal Care and Use Refresher.
Visit the ULAM Training website for more information or contact the ULAM Training Core via email or phone at (734) 763-8039.
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Census/USDA Year Ends for All Species
All Principal Investigators and Laboratory Personnel
Animal acquisitions that have not already been reported in eRAM are now due. The Animal Care & Use Office will begin collecting required data from affected labs on or around September 30.
Additional questions or concerns should be directed to the Animal Care & Use Office at ACUOffice@umich.edu or (734) 763-8028.
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Connect with ULAM at the Annual NCRC EXPO
All NCRC Principal Investigators and Laboratory Personnel
Stop by the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) table at the annual NCRC EXPO from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM to pick up materials and resources to help with your next research project.
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Hazardous Agents Administration SOP Implementation Date
LSI, Dental School, School of Public Health, NCRC
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Training Requirement Deadline
Personnel (Last Name J - R)
Visit the ULAM Training website for more information or contact the ULAM Training Core via email or phone at (734) 763-8039.
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Training Requirement Deadline
Personnel (Last Name S - Z)
Visit the ULAM Training website for more information or contact the ULAM Training Core via email or phone at (734) 763-8039. |
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Animal Research Spotlight
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If you're a human who's hungry, a handful of nuts, a piece of cheese, or a nice juicy steak may hit the spot. If you're a fruit fly, a nibble of yeast will do the trick. Both beings seek protein-rich foods when running on empty. But why? And what does that preference mean for the odds of living a longer life, whether it's measured in decades for a human, or days for a fly?
A new paper published in the journal eLife by U-M scientist Scott Pletcher, Ph.D., and his team suggests for the first time that a brain chemical may have a lot to do with both questions.
Continue reading
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For more information about the Animal Care & Use Program
at the University of Michigan,
CLICK HERE
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