The NIH’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), along with their colleagues from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recently presented a webinar discussing progress towards implementing the 21st Century Cures Act. The new webinar focuses on how the three agencies recommend reducing administrative burden on investigators while maintaining the integrity and credibility of research findings and the protection of research animals. The actions discussed follow the release of their final report in 2019 (see also this NIH Open Mike blog). Topics of note for Assured institutions conducting research involving animals include:
- Updates to guidance and policies, such as harmonizing the reporting period of the Annual Reports to OLAW and USDA
- Requests for Information regarding encouraging the use of sections of the AAALAC International Program Description in the Animal Welfare Assurance, clarifying institutional responsibilities for grant to protocol congruence review, and the flexibilities for conducting semiannual inspections
- Requests for Information under development related to expanded use of designated member review, exemptions from IACUC review, non-compliance reporting requirements, and clarifying requirements for departing from the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
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