ANIMAL FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR SMALL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

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In 1984 Idaho State University was designated as the lead institution of the state in Health and Medically Related matters. This new institutional role and mission has dramatically changed the research emphasis of the University during the past few years and the University has committed significant funding in support of new faculty and program expansion in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Related Professions and the College of Pharmacy. In addition, the State of Idaho (State Board of Education) established a Higher Education Research Council (HERC) that has begun providing research support to individual faculty members and research centers on a yearly basis. The results of the above efforts to stimulate research in the state of Idaho have evident at Idaho State University during the past few years. Research grant proposals have increased considerably during this period of time and faculty research projects and graduate training programs are expected to grow significantly in the future as new investigators become established. As a consequence of the above commitment to excellence and growth in research activities, the Idaho State University Animal Facility has also experienced considerable growth and an increasing role in the overall research picture of the University. The I.S.U. Animal Welfare Committee (the equivalent of the USDA IACUC) has been highly successful at improving animal care and use policy at I.S.U. and increasing the awareness of the administration as to the importance of the Animal Facility to the degree of significantly enhancing institutional support. Since the submission of the previous version of this proposal, the I.S.U. Animal Facility has achieved full accreditation by AAALAC, a sterile surgery suite has been constructed, and a second phase of institutionally-supported improvements are nearing completion. However, despite the many recent improvements, the I.S.U. Animal Facility lacks a cage washing system in its main resources area in the Life Sciences Complex. This proposal is for a single modern cage washing system to fully complement recent renovations and provide automated cage washing at a level of quality consistent with AAALAC standards.