? Matching funds are requested to improve and assure environmental quality for animals housed on the fourth floor of the Berg Central Animal Facility (BCAF) and to provide adequate personnel hygiene facilities for all technicians working in the BCAF. According to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, one of the most important criteria for research animal facilities and animal care programs is to maintain a control of the research animal's environment. The objective of maintaining a steady state environment is to avoid inadvertent masking of the animal's response to experimental variables. The facility improvements that are proposed in Project I of this application would replace the existing inherently inadequate; unreliable; 50-year-old heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system with a contemporary HVAC system capable of consistently maintaining Guide standards for a research animal facility. One recent failure of the existing HVAC system resulted in the disastrous loss of animals. Even when functioning to its fullest potential, the system's inability to control temperature and relative humidity anywhere close to Guide standards jeopardizes animal studies, the vast majority of which are PHS-funded. The facility improvements that are proposed in Project II would provide locker, shower, and toilet facilities for female technicians similar to those provided for male technicians. Currently, the female locker room is a converted x-ray film developing room that is entered through a private office. There are no shower facilities available anywhere for female technicians, and there are no toilet facilities available inside the animal facility for female technicians. Providing adequate personnel hygiene facilities is not only the right thing to do for the female staff, Guide standards require providing such facilities for all personnel. ? ?
