Animal Care and Use for Research

Animals that are used in research and teaching at the Johns Hopkins University are covered by our Animal Care and Use Program. The Johns Hopkins program is designed to assure that it is in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act regulations and Public Health Service (PHS) Policy. Johns Hopkins University has an approved PHS Assurance that describes the conduct of our animal care and use program. Johns Hopkins also maintains accreditation of our program by the private Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International. Our overarching goals are to assure that laboratory animals at Johns Hopkins University receive the highest quality care and to protect the health of people who work with and around animals at Johns Hopkins. We believe that excellence in research and teaching requires excellence in our animal care and use program.

This document provides an overview of the structure and responsibilities of those who support the animals care and use program at Johns Hopkins.

The Animal Care and Use Program at Johns Hopkins in University-wide program. It is comprised of multiple components, which cover animal housing and care, veterinary medical care, facilities management, training, occupational health, and assurance of compliance with federal and state laws and policies that govern use of animals in research and teaching. In general, the National Research Council's Guide to the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals serves as the primary source for standards for the Johns Hopkins Animal Care and Use Program. Additional detailed information regarding policies and guidance may be found on or through links from the Animal Care and Use Committee website (www.jhu.edu/animalcare).