ANIMAL RESOURCE IMPROVEMENT GRANT

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The funds requested in this application will be used to improve the procedure/testing rooms which serve the Medical Psychology Department and the Department of Neurosurgery. Historically, medical centers have allowed medical researchers to perform research procedures on animals in the research laboratories. At OHSU, the procedure/testing rooms must meet the same animal care standards as the animal holding rooms. Wherever animals are housed, observed, or tested, the standards set forth in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and Animal Welfare Act must be enforced. Some Medical Psychology and Neurosurgery procedure rooms are located on the second floor in central facility animal holding area; however, the size of the two programs and the limited space on the second floor restricts the number of holding rooms that can be assigned to procedure/testing rooms. To conserve investigator time and effort, the procedure/testing rooms are best located in close proximity to the investigator's laboratories and the animal holding rooms. At OHSU both the Central Animal Facility and the investigator's laboratories are located in the Medical Research Building. This close proximity allows easy access for the animal care staff to monitor and care for the animals. The funds requested in this grant proposal would refurbish the Medical Psychology and the Neurosurgery procedural/testing rooms to meet the standards of the Guide and the Animal Welfare Act. The 2,068 sq. ft. of procedure/testing rooms on the seventh floor of the Medical Research Building will be improved by adding solid ceilings, new fluorescent lights, an epoxy-resin floor covering, and painting the walls. The OHSU animal care facilities are AAALAC accredited; however, the twenty six year old facility requires continual renovation to adequately maintain the physical plant standards described in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Following the ten year renovation program, the completely renovated animal facilities will now meet the standard of the Guide and provide a comfortable and safe environment for both animals and animal care personnel to live and work in the future.