The University of Iowa’s research animal care and use program received continued full accreditation from the AAALAC International Council on Accreditation based on a recent site visit. AAALAC International is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through accreditation and assessment programs.

The UI has been certified through the voluntary accreditation process since 1994. AAALAC’s report of the most recent visit noted that the institution maintains an “exemplary program,” achieving sustained excellence in animal care and use in addition to meeting the minimum standards required by law and regulatory agencies.

In a letter to Jim Sheets, director of the UI Office of Animal Resources, AAALAC International president of the Council on Accreditation Patricia Foley said that commendable aspects of UI operations include the atmosphere of collaborative support among all personnel involved in the animal care program; the clean, well maintained animal facilities; the dedicated and enthusiastic animal care and veterinary care teams; and the strong environmental enrichment program.

The Office of Animal Resources provides the centralized care program for research animals at the University of Iowa. All research, teaching and training activities that involve the use of vertebrate animals at the University of Iowa are approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Both units report to the Office of the Vice President for Research.

“Our teams regularly review our animal care and use program and implement quality assurance measures and personnel training programs whenever needed,” said Jennifer Lassner, associate vice president for research. “We are proud to partner with agencies and governing bodies to ensure that we provide the gold standard for high quality, humane care for the animals involved in our research programs.”