U-M Receives Full AAALAC Accreditation

A Message from the Animal Care & Use Program Leadership Team

We are pleased to announce that the University of Michigan has received full accreditation from AAALAC International. In the notification letter that was received on November 22, the AAALAC Council commended the entire U-M animal care and use community for our progressive efforts to build a culture of sustained excellence and shared responsibility for upholding the highest animal welfare standards in all aspects of our work.

The notification letter and subsequent full accreditation are a result of the very positive AAALAC Site Visit that took place in July. We want to express our sincerest gratitude and appreciation for the tremendous levels of engagement and enthusiasm you showed leading up to, and throughout, the Site Visit.

Our Program’s success, and the success of this visit, would not be possible without the commitment that each and every one of you has made on a daily basis to compassionate animal care and responsible research conduct. Thank you for making this commitment to excellence.

In this time of tremendous momentum for our Program, it is imperative that we continue to:

• Explore new approaches to not only achieving, but also exceeding, national and professional standards in animal care and use,
• Refine our practices to ensure the most humane conditions and procedures possible, and
• Strengthen our shared commitment to rigor and accountability in the pursuit of innovative scientific advancements to benefit both human and animal health.

As the nation’s top public research university, this is the commitment we must make to the animals under our care, to our research sponsors, to our peers, and to one another when afforded the privilege of working with animals in research, testing, and teaching.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support of our Program as we continue to pursue new standards of excellence in animal care and use.