The Ohio State University is committed to pursue a standard of excellence in animal research. Attaining and maintaining accreditation by the Association for the Accreditation and Assessment of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) is one of the means used by the University to measure accomplishment of this objective. The University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR) was formed in its present configuration on July 1, 1990 to consolidate and centralize the animal care program for all biomedical animal research on the University's Columbus campus and 3 off-campus locations. All personnel, equipment, and facilities were transferred from their respective colleges to ULAR. ULAR supports one of the nation's largest university animal care programs of 14 separate animal facilities, 3 surgeries on the Columbus campus and 4 off-campus locations, supporting animal research for the faculty of 121 colleges, 7 schools, and the Graduate School. In fiscal year 2000, ULAR provided animal resource services to over 300 principled investigators with over 681 animal protocols. Approximately 74 percent of the animal use at The Ohio State University occurs on the main campus complex in five separate vivaria. The largest vivarium Wiseman Hall, was recently upgraded for the first time since it was built in 1968. Our second largest vivarium on the main campus, Graves Hall, was built in 1970 and is also in need of upgrade and renovation to accommodate the tremendous changes that have occurred in the """"""""state of the ar5t"""""""" care available for animals. In order to maintain a high standard of care for the research animals used at The Ohio State University, and provide the investigators with facilities that are capable of housing the animals used in research today that may be immunocompromised, biohazardous, radioactive, or in long-term holding, the Graves animal facility must be renovated. ULAR personnel have identified problem areas in the facility which may compromise our ability to maintain AAALAC accreditation if not corrected in the near future. This facility therefore has the highest renovation priority in ULAR. This proposal will provide for this renovation and allow The Ohio State University to provide quality animal housing for the research animals.
