September 4-5 and 11-12 | 10:00am – 1:30pm ET | Virtual

This symposium will focus on reduction, refinement, and replacement methods to improve laboratory animal welfare while maintaining or improving scientific results. Sessions will discuss opportunities to do more with less, refinement techniques for research involving pain and distress, and how to use the 3Rs to improve efficiency and rigor. The goal of the symposium is to bring together experts and practitioners to share information and discuss new and practical approaches to the 3Rs. Please join us online as we learn from the speakers and each other! There will be opportunities built into the program for attendees to ask questions, comment, or offer suggestions.

The symposium will take place over four days and is jointly organized by:

August 15-16, 2024 | Cincinnati, OH | In-person

IAA is announcing open registration for a face-to-face, immersive one-and-a-half-day professional development opportunity designed specifically for Animal Care and Use Program (ACUP) professionals. The "IACUC Administrators Best Practice Meeting: The Essentials" will focus on the core requirements and best practices for using vertebrate animals in research, instruction, and testing activities. This program will cover key regulatory frameworks, ethical considerations, and administrative responsibilities to ensure compliance and promote excellence in animal care and use programs. Participants will engage in interactive discussions and networking opportunities to enhance their understanding and the implementation of regulations governing the care and use of vertebrate animals in research, teaching and instruction. Attendance will be limited to approximately 35 individuals.

August 1, 2024 | 1:00-3:00 pm ET| Virtual

Join us for an informative session about laboratory animal adoptions! The speakers will discuss adoption from multiple viewpoints, including the experience an institution with a robust animal adoption program, the VA adoption program, and a partner organization dedicated to placing retired research animals in loving homes. 

Speakers:

June 27, 2024| 1:00-2:00pm ET | Virtual

Join us for a discussion of change management as it relates to animal research. This webinar will introduce useful tools for understanding barriers to change, developing buy-in, and optimizing implementation. The speakers will illustrate techniques using real world examples and data.

Speakers:

• Brianna Gaskill
  PhD in Animal Behavior and Well-being
  3Rs Senior Scientist
  Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research 
   
• Natasha Karp 
  PhD in Chemistry and Degree in Biochemistry
  Director of Statistics 
  Quantitative Biology, Discovery Science, R&D, AstraZeneca, UK 

Register Here

Great Eastern University’s new IACUC director notices that it has been standard practice at GEU for investigators to refer to consultation with the veterinarian in lieu of describing specific humane endpoints directly in the protocol. The issue is brought to the IACUC for discussion. What factors should the IACUC consider? This issue examines the IACUC’s responsibility when it comes to evaluating endpoints and the relation to scientific rigor and animal welfare.

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A dedicated Rumor Control section of the FDA website helps to stop and correct the spread of misinformation and disinformation about science, medicine, and the FDA. Rumors about animals in research were debunked this May in the featured article Facts about FDA and Animal Welfare, Testing & Research. The article educates with positive and factual information about the 3Rs, alternatives to animal testing, and the federal laws regulating animal research. It also discusses FDA’s work with industry partners to advance the development and adoption of alternatives to animal testing. To learn more, please visit the FDA Rumor Control webpage.

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December 9-10, 2024 | San Antonio, TX | In-Person

Registration is open for the Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW) winter conference. SCAW two-day conferences provide key findings and advances in research animal welfare, explore policy and management issues related to IACUCs and develop awareness of humane care and use of agricultural animals in research. Topics to be discussed include: 

June 27, 2024| 1:00-2:00pm ET | Virtual

Join us for a discussion of change management as it relates to animal research. This webinar will introduce useful tools for understanding barriers to change, developing buy-in, and optimizing implementation. The speakers will illustrate techniques using real world examples and data.

Speakers:

• Natasha Karp, PhD, 
  Director of Statistics 
  Quantitative Biology, Discovery Science, R&D, AstraZeneca, UK 
   
• Brianna Gaskill, PhD,
  3Rs Senior Scientist 
  Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research 
   

June 19, 2024 | 3:00-4:30 PM ET | Virtual

This session, titled “Are there Political Opinions within Institutional Biosafety Programs?” will discuss the complexities and differing opinions surrounding institutional biosafety programs and explore how varying viewpoints influence program management, policymaking and implementation, as well as program compliance. Attendees will discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by these diverse perspectives, providing attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic environment in which biosafety operates.

June 6, 2024 | 11:30 AM - 4:30 pm ET | Virtual

The IBC 201/Best Practice meeting is a 5-hour training opportunity for both new and seasoned Biosafety committee members, Biosafety Administrators, program compliance coordinators, and other individuals who contribute to the institution’s biosafety compliance program. Sessions are initiated using didactic presentations that are intended to provide sufficient background on several topics to ensure attendees have a general understanding of an overall Institutional Biosafety programs.