FAQ website

The Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) has recently posted a compilation of frequently asked questions (FAQs) online1. The purpose of the new page is to provide up-to-date guidance for institutions and IACUCs to use in implementing the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy). Many of the answers refer to guidance previously published as articles in journals and magazines, such as Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science (now JAALAS) and Lab Animal. The new FAQs provide guidance on the Freedom of Information Act, post-approval monitoring, HVAC malfunctions and failures, rodent cage density, and other issues not previously addressed by OLAW.

Brochure for investigators

In addition, OLAW has created a brochure entitled, “What Investigators Need to Know About the Use of Animals2,” to educate investigators about their responsibilities under PHS Grants Policy and PHS Policy.” This brochure, available on the web and in hard copy from OLAW, describes the expectations and requirements when using animals in research supported by the PHS.