Location: Responsive Agricultural Food Systems Research Unit
Project Number: 3093-51000-001-002-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2025
End Date: May 31, 2030
Objective:
The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Responsive Agricultural Food Systems Research (RAFSR) unit institutional official (IO) delegates the Texas A&M University (TAMU) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to provide review and oversight for animal research conducted by USDA-ARS employees at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture (IHA). Such oversight by the IACUC will also help to ensure compliance with applicable ARS policies (ARS P&P 130.4.v.2), the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) Regulations (AWAR), PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy), and the National Research Council’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide) when conducting animal research.
USDA-ARS wishes to utilize the TAMU Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) to provide review and oversight for the use of biohazardous agents in research conducted by USDA-ARS employees at the IHA. Such oversight by the IBC will also help to ensure compliance with CDC and NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines), the NIH Biosafety and Recombinant DNA Policy, the NIH Biosecurity Policy, and the NIH Emerging Biotechnology Policy.
Approach:
USDA-ARS scientists located at the IHA Norman Borlaug Building will conduct research using TAMU and Texas A&M AgriLife animal facilities based on the TAMU College Station campus, which are under the oversight of the TAMU IACUC and IBC and included in the TAMU AAALAC accredited portion of the animal care and use program. To avoid conflict, ambiguity and duplication of efforts regarding animal care and/or biosafety protocol review and record keeping, USDA-ARS and TAMU desire to operate under a single set of rules, policies and guidelines that all employees (USDA-ARS) will follow at these designated facilities.