Animal Program Assessment Specialists
Contact us to request compliance services.
RARC’s animal program assessment specialists are a key resource for investigators, helping them maintain compliance with applicable rules, regulations, and policies to ensure successful research projects. We help labs prepare for AAALAC visits, work with USDA inspectors, provide information and guidance on compliance with DEA regulations, and perform focused protocol reviews. We may sound scary, but we are actually very pleasant and most importantly we want you to succeed!
We provide assistance in several areas:
Post Approval Monitoring |
Regulations require continuing oversight to ensure animal study procedures are conducted in accordance with the approved protocol. Assessment specialists help you maintain compliance and avoid protocol drift. Learn more about post approval monitoring. Try our Laboratory Self-Assessment Checklist: PDF, Word (fill-in) |
Inspection Readiness |
We provide resources and guidance, and conduct mock inspections of animal-use areas to help ensure labs are prepared for IACUC, USDA, AAALAC and/or DEA inspections. Our IACUC Inspection Guides will help you to prepare for inspections in different areas:aquatics, facility, farm, lab, and surgery. |
Records Management |
We help ensure labs’ health, anesthesia, surgery, post-surgical care, controlled substance, housing, husbandry, and other required records meet requirements. Learn about medical record requirements and get record-keeping templates. |
SOP Writing |
We can help your lab write effective standard operating procedures for research animal use, e.g. preparing a lab area for animal surgery, maintaining an animal procedure area, proper storage and maintenance of animal medical materials, and more. |
DEA Registration |
We can help you to apply for and maintain your DEA registration and substance use authorization (SUA). Please see the most up-to-date information on our controlled substance webpage. |
Grant-Protocol Congruence |
We ensure congruence between your federal grant (e.g. NIH, NSF) and your approved protocol so that your funds can be released. |