The University of Akron has expanded academic departments involved in biomedical research, and the number of projects employing animals has increased and will continue to increase. Realizing the need for improved animal resources, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) recommended that The University of Akron build a new Animal Resource Center (ARC) and dedicated research facilities. This recommendation was accepted by the University Administration and was funded in 1987 by the State of Ohio at $2 million dollars. Because of unanticipated engineering problems, the foundation and structural elements of the new ARC had to be redesigned, and additional construction costs have consumed funds originally designed for equipment as well as an additional $250,000 required to complete construction of the facility. This new ARC is completed and equipment and animals are currently being transferred. The new ARC, together with the equipment requested in this proposal, will promote significant improvements in animal use and care and substantially enhance The University of Akron's biomedical research programs.
