This application requests support for construction of a permanent facility for housing and care of NHPs. The facility will be located in a new research building being designed by the UTHSC-H. Investigators at the UTHSC-H hold approximately $10 million (direct costs) of active National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for studies with NHPs, but tropical storm Allison totally destroyed the ACC that housed most of the animals used for their research. Tragically, 78 animals were lost in the Storm. The proposed facility will be on the eighth floor of a new nine story building. The new building will have enclosed connections to the UTHSC-H Medical School Building and to the Institute for Molecular Medicine Building, so that it will support the work of investigators in all three buildings. The proposed facility will contain 5,223 assignable sq. ft. for housing and testing of NHP and will accommodate up to 180 animals. The facility will occupy roughly half of a floor devoted exclusively to animal care activities. The facility will be under the control of the Center for Laboratory Animal Medicine and Care (CLAMC), which manages and operates all animal care and use activities at the UTHSC-H. The CLAMC was initially accredited by AAALAC-international in 1978 and remains fully accredited today. The Director of the CLAMC reports directly to the Executive Vice President for Research of the UTHSC-H.
