Notice Number: NOT-OD-20-088
Key Dates
Release Date: March 16, 2020
NOT-OD-22-207: OLAW Waivers to Conduct Semiannual Facility Inspections due to COVID-19 Will Expire October 1, 2022
Issued by
Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health (OD)
Purpose
The NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) is deeply concerned about the impact of the expanding outbreak of the respiratory illness, COVID-19, on the ability of Assured institutions to support the well-being of animals and personnel during this public health emergency.
The purpose of this Notice is to inform institutions of flexibilities provided in the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Policy) that are applicable to implementing a pandemic plan for animal care and use programs. The PHS Policy also contains provisions that can be instituted as social distancing measures to prevent the spread of disease.
Institutions may implement the following measures:
Conduct of Semiannual Facility Inspections
IACUCs may consider the following flexibilities in the conduct of semiannual animal facility inspections:
- The timing of facility inspections may extend 30 days beyond the six-month interval from the last review if there is no forward drift of the date from year to year.
- The IACUC has discretion to determine the best means of conducting the facility inspections. This includes using any qualified individual as ad hoc consultants. For areas housing non-USDA regulated species, the IACUC may use as few as one qualified individual to conduct the inspections. The IACUC still remains responsible for the evaluation and report to the Institutional Official.
OLAW may temporarily waive specific IACUC functions in accordance with PHS Policy Section V.D. Assured institutions that are unable to inspect, at least once every six months (plus 30 days), all of the institution’s animal facilities (including satellite facilities) may request a waiver from OLAW. Authorized institutional representatives may request a waiver of the inspection requirement or other provisions of the PHS Policy by submitting a request with justification to OLAW at olawdpe@mail.nih.gov. The waiver will be reviewed and approved in writing by OLAW.
Conduct of IACUC Meetings
IACUCs may institute the following as social distancing measures to prevent the spread of disease:
- The IACUC may institute alternatives to face-to-face meetings such as teleconference or video conferencing (see NOT-OD-06-052).
- The number of IACUC meetings may be reduced to as few as one every six months.
- The IACUC may choose to expand their use of designated member review in lieu of full committee review.
Additional guidance for preparing for a pandemic can be found on the OLAW website in the Frequently Asked Questions section, under Institutional Responsibilities, FAQ G9. If OLAW determines that additional measures must be implemented to meet the needs of the research community and funding components, additional guidance will be announced. OLAW is the only entity authorized to make determinations regarding waivers to provisions of the PHS Policy.
For up-to-date information and on how to prepare for COVID-19, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website.
Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare
Telephone: 301-496-7163
Email: olaw@od.nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
