The triennial accreditation visit for review of the MSU animal research program was conducted on campus by a team from the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) during the week of February 17, 2020.
AAALAC works with institutions and researchers to serve as a bridge between discovery and animal well-being. This is done through a voluntary accreditation process in which institutional animal research programs demonstrate that they not only meet the standards (outlined primarily in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals), but also exceed expectations to achieve excellence in animal care and use.
The site visit team walked through 11 biomedical animal housing areas, 12 farm sites, multiple aquatic labs, and finished by interviewing several investigators from various disciplines. Guidance documents, animal protocols, and standard operating procedures were also assessed.
The AAALAC team noted Michigan State’s impressive institutional commitment and exceptional knowledge by everyone that they spoke with about the animal care program during the visit. The site visit team also had very positive remarks about MSU’s facilities with the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building (ISTB), the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering(IQ), and the Grand Rapids Research Center noted specifically.
“I’m very appreciative of the hard work and preparation by everyone involved in the site visit. Congratulations and many thanks to not only our Animal Care team, but also to the research staff who participated,” stated JR Haywood, assistant vice president for Regulatory Affairs.
The site visit team will deliver their recommendations to the full AAALAC Council and Michigan State will receive the final accreditation decision after the May 2020 AAALAC Council session.
More about AAALAC:
AAALAC International is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation and assessment programs. More than 1,000 companies, universities, hospitals, government agencies and other research institutions in 49 countries have earned AAALAC accreditation, demonstrating their commitment to responsible animal care and use. These institutions volunteer to participate in AAALAC's program, in addition to complying with the local, state and federal laws that regulate animal research.