How Can the Quality Assurance Team Benefit You?
The Animal Care & Use Office Quality Assurance (QA) Team is a resource for the research community. Through meetings with PIs and their laboratories, the QA Team supports the research community by providing immediate assistance with solving individual laboratory problems and collating laboratory feedback to promote programmatic change(s).
Since Fall 2017, the QA Team has performed over 800 one-on-one QA visits with the research community.
The data gathered during these visits set the stage for:
- Creation of the PI Proxy Role in eRAM;
- Refinement to tumor monitoring recordkeeping requirements; and
- The addition of gentle fin restraint to aquatics guidelines.
The Laboratory Animal Research Coordinator Certification (LARCC) Program is the most recent development from the QA Team.
The LARCC Program:
- Trains research staff in regulations and policies governing animal use;
- Promotes positive relationships between the research community and Animal Care & Use (ACU) Program leadership;
- Allows graduates to serve as a liaison to the Animal Care & Use Office and the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee; and
- Provides opportunities for graduates to provide feedback on, and suggest changes to, the ACU Program.
We Want to Hear From You!
Please feel free to reach out to the Animal Care & Use Office QA Team at ACU-QATeam@med.umich.edu with questions, comments, or concerns about the Animal Care & Use Program.
We are also happy to schedule a consultation with you or your laboratory staff to discuss any aspect of our Program, including assistance with preparing for inspections, guidance on protocol submission or amendments, and advice on how to resolve laboratory management issues specific to your research.
Remember, your feedback is essential to programmatic change and development!