The Vanderbilt University (VU) research enterprise has grown significantly in recent years, and a new strategic plan is in place to continue to drive growth through 2020. This growth has been particularly evident in programs using mice. Since 2004 $42M in capital improvements have been invested in support of VU's animal research program. Additional improvements are planned and seen as critical to the continued success of the VU research enterprise. This application requests funds to purchase individually ventilated cage systems (IVCs) and work stations needed to maintain VU animal research infrastructure and improve operational efficiency of the Preston Research Building (PRB) Rodent Facility. The IVCs and work stations will replace equipment used in PRB 889B that is energy/space inefficient and approaching obsolescence. The improvements will be used to support the ongoing research of 163 productive VU investigators with a total of over $35 million in NIH awards (annual direct costs) from 13 institutes. If funded, this application will provide a mechanism for Vanderbilt to maintain existing infrastructure while it continues to invest in space and equipment required to support new initiatives and growth of its successful research programs. In addition, the IVCs requested are more energy- and space-efficient which is consistent the institution's initiative to conserve natural resources and reduce its carbon footprint. In keeping with ARRA legislation, the U.S. based manufacturer of the IVCs (Allentown, Inc.) estimates that every IVC rack purchased supports 30 U.S.-based companies employing over 15,000 U.S. individuals.
