The University of Michigan has an extensive program for care and use of laboratory animals campus-wide. This program includes animal housing facilities in 27 buildings on the Ann Arbor campus, two farm-based settings, two biological stations, and two satellite campuses. While centralization of some animal facilities at the Medical School is being achieved over time, there exists a continual need for state-of-the-art satellite vivaria to accommodate specific colleges, programs, and animal species. The purpose of this grant application is to provide improvements to several of the decentralized satellite vivaria such that the standards of housing, services, and equipment at these locations approaches that provided in the newly constructed research buildings on campus. Four facilities are addressed by this proposal: (1) the School of Dentistry, which is requesting refinished floors, dropped ceilings, ventilated wall-mounted rodent caging, and minor modifications to a surgical preparation area;(2) the Kellogg Eye Center, which is requesting an upgrade to ventilated rodent caging, a renovation to improve and increase housing for aquatic animals (frogs and fish), and some floor and ceiling repairs;(3) East Hall, which is requesting to refurbish its rack washer and purchase additional animal care support equipment;and (4) the Kraus Natural Sciences Building, which is requesting a new pass-through cabinet washer and additional animal care support equipment. Provision of these building modifications and equipment items will greatly improve the animal care services provided at these integral decentralized facilities.
