Constant diligence and routine assessment, refinement, and improvement are key tenets of the scientific process as well as the responsible care and use of animals in research and instruction.
With these core principles in mind, please join our Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) in carrying the momentum gained from this summer’s AAALAC Site Visit forward to the start of the fall semester and upcoming semi-annual IACUC facility inspections. 
Inspections will begin on Monday, September 14, and run through Thursday, September 17, 2026. All animal housing rooms, surgical suite support spaces, and areas where procedures are conducted with animals will be inspected.
Fall 2026 Facility Inspection Schedule
View the complete Fall 2026 IACUC Semi-Annual Facility Inspection Schedule
by pasting animalcare.umich.edu/iacuc-inspection-schedule* into your web browser.
*Please note: valid U-M login credentials are required to access.
Inspection Preparation Resources
Review the following tools and resources with your staff – including any students involved with your laboratory’s research – to help prepare for this next round of semi-annual facility inspections:
- Lessons Learned from Winter 2026 Semi-Annual Facility Inspections (newsletter article)
- Are You Inspection Ready? Checklist (PDF download)
- Aquatics Facilities Checklist (PDF download)
Reminders & Best Practices
- Designate at least one individual to serve as a spokesperson for your laboratory. This individual should have detailed knowledge of the procedures outlined in your laboratory’s IACUC approved protocol(s) and be able to provide access to locked cabinets, drawers, or storage area(s) that contain drugs and other medical materials.
- All laboratories should identify at least two other individuals who can serve as secondary contacts to fill-in in case of any last-minute personnel changes or scheduling conflicts.
- If no Designated Spokesperson has been identified in eRAM, then it is assumed that the PI will serve in this capacity.
- Laboratory visits are generally scheduled in four-hour increments to account for a variety of factors. As such, the Animal Care & Use Office (ACUO) is unable to make scheduling adjustments. Although every effort will be made to adhere to the distributed schedule, unforeseen circumstances may result in schedule deviation(s).
- For inspections with a ULAM focus:
- Only ULAM Husbandry Supervisors need to be present
- Each inspection will begin in Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) animal housing areas, though this may be altered for biosecurity purposes
Questions?
Questions or concerns about semi-annual IACUC facility inspections should be directed to the Animal Care & Use Office at [email protected].
Links marked with a lock icon can only be accessed using valid U-M login credentials.