Navigator Newsletter-May 2024

Biomedical Research Awareness Day (BRAD)

April 18th was Biomedical Research Awareness Day (BRAD). BRAD is part of an international outreach program through Americans for Medical Progress to increase public awareness about animal roles in biomedical research.

We spent several days in Red Square, handing out information and having conversations about all things animal research related. BRAD week culminated with a morning seminar “The Importance of Animals in Addressing the Drug Abuse Crisis” followed by a takeover of the Rotunda Lobby with an amazing poster reception from a variety of UW researchers. Conversations, collaboration, and celebrations were had with over 200 individuals!

These events highlighted the importance of animal research and demonstrated UW’s commitment to supporting science while providing exceptional animal care.

We are hoping to make our annual BRAD event better and better. We are looking forward to doing it all again next year!

A big thank you to everyone that joined us this week, including students, animal care staff, researchers, PIs, CLATR, D2C, DCM, EH&S, and the Primate Center.

Updates to NIH Grants Processes

NIH is implementing multiple changes to forms and submission processes for funding opportunities with due dates on or after January 25, 2025.

These administrative changes are intended to simplify, clarify, and ensure greater fairness for applicants throughout the review process.

Learn more by visiting this NIH Grants webpage.

Spring Weather is Here

With the warm temps and sunny skies, shorts and flip-flops are coming out of the closet.

But the need for Personal Safety Equipment and clothing requirements do not change!

When you are in any vivarium, you must follow posted signage.

Importantly:

• You must wear closed toe shoes in the vivarium. (Dedicated facility shoes are available in some facilities if you show up with inappropriate or unsafe footwear.)
• When hair bonnets are required, they must cover and encapsulate all head hair.

The clothing and hair covering requirements are for the protection of the research, the animals, and protection of anyone that is sensitive to animal allergens.

Testing, Practice, and Pilots

When you are designing your experiments, keep in mind that any use of animals for testing, practice, or pilot studies must be approved on your IACUC protocol.

For example, do you have new lab personnel that need to practice a technique before performing it with experimental animals? Do you have a new method or agent that you want to test in a few animals prior to using it in the experimental cohort? Do you need pilot data for a grant application? These would all be considered animal use activities that must be described in an animal use protocol and approved by the IACUC before the activities are performed.

Reach out to your OAW Liaison or oawrss@uw.edu if you have any questions about what needs to be included in your IACUC protocol.