The Animal Resources Center (ARC) provides a laboratory animal care and use program that is fully accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC). The ARC staff is responsible for the care, housing, treatment, and disease control of all laboratory animals used in research projects by the St. Jude Cancer Center scientists. In addition, the ARC provides an array of research and technical services. The ARC staff ensures that all housing, husbandry practices, and veterinary care complies with the Animal Welfare Act and its amendments, the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and all other applicable institutional, state, and local regulations. The Assurance Number is A3077-01. The ARC employs two full-time veterinarians. The Director is ACLAM board certified and the clinical veterinarian is ACLAM board eligible. A third full-time veterinarian, who is ACVP board eligible, will join the ARC staff in August 2001. There are an additional 50 full-time animal care staff, five Diagnostic Laboratory staff, and six full-time support staff to carry out the animal care program. All ARC personnel have at least a high school education (or equivalency). Several have vocational training in laboratory animal science or degree-level college work. Seventeen individuals on the ARC staff hold college degrees. Nineteen of the 63 staff members are AALAS certified. Currently, there are two Registered Laboratory Animal Technologists (RLATg), seven Laboratory Animal Technologists (LATg), four Laboratory Animal Technicians (LAT), and six Assistant Laboratory Animal Technicians (ALAT). Twenty-four have other additional animal care certifications (PLAC, RVT, ILAM). The projected total budget for this Shared Resource in year-25 of this grant is $7.8 million, of which 7% ($542,785) is requested from the CCSG; the remainder of the budget (93%; $7,257,215) will be provided by SJCRH institutional funds and by chargeback to individual investigators. Between 90-95% of the usage of this Shared Resource is by Cancer Center members, for peer-reviewed funded projects.
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