As a result of the adoption of AAALAC International's 2015 strategic plan and subsequent update to AAALAC's Articles of Incorporation, AAALAC International has ceased spelling out its acronym and now uses "AAALAC International" as its official legal name.
As AAALAC's accreditation program has grown to encompass many wildlife and agricultural animal research programs, dropping the use of the word "laboratory" in conjunction with AAALAC allows for greater inclusivity.
Please note that proper usage is the legal name which is "AAALAC International" (please do not spell out the old acronym even in first usage). The AAALAC International logo remains unchanged. Any questions regarding name usage can be directed to lwieder@aaalac.org. Thank you!
For more than 60 years, AAALAC International has promoted the humane and responsible care and use of animals needed to advance medical and scientific discoveries that save lives and improve the health and well-being of both people and animals. By accrediting participating institutions, we strive for humane and responsible animal care and use policies and practices that meet or exceed our standards.
AAALAC International’s Rules of Accreditation stipulate that the accredited institution shall observe any and all statutes and governmental regulations which bear upon animal care and use. Our accreditation standards further require institutions to promptly notify AAALAC International of significant adverse events relating to their animal care and use program. Examples include internal or external reviews/inspections that document these events; investigations by national oversight bodies; and other serious incidents or concerns that negatively impacted animal well-being.
Institutions that do not follow AAALAC International’s Rules of Accreditation are subject to their accreditation being revoked.
For more than 60 years, AAALAC International has promoted the humane and responsible care and use of animals needed to advance medical and other scientific discoveries that save lives and improve the health and well-being of both people and animals. By accrediting participating institutions, we foster responsible, humane and high quality animal care and use based on policies and practices that meet or exceed our standards.
AAALAC takes very seriously any possible deficiencies by accredited institutions that fall short of our standards that we identify via site visits, are self-reported or we become aware of via other means. We launch an investigation and establish a timetable for corrective action. In such cases, an institution is placed on restricted accreditation status (e.g., deferred accreditation or probation). Failure to report reportable adverse events promptly, as mandated by AAALAC’s Rules of Accreditation, may lead to the revocation of the AAALAC International accreditation.
To confirm suitable corrective action has been implemented, our Council on Accreditation may conduct drop-in visits with limited advance notification or a comprehensive mandatory site revisit. Failure to correct deficiencies can and has resulted in revocation of AAALAC International accreditation.
To receive AAALAC International accreditation, an institution must submit a detailed program description that details all aspects of its animal care and use. Once the program description is reviewed, AAALAC International conducts a comprehensive, onsite assessment of the program and facilities to determine if the institution will be awarded accreditation.
AAALAC requires accredited institutions to promptly report adverse events, including unexpected animal deaths and allegations regarding compromised animal welfare. We investigate these reports and, if deemed appropriate, require corrective action within a set period of time. As noted above failure to correct deficiencies in these situations can also result in revocation of AAALAC accreditation.
Additional questions about AAALAC's accreditation process may be directed to accredit@aaalac.org.
“This is an excellent achievement and our first re-accreditation since becoming the first academic institution in the UK to gain AAALAC accreditation. Having an externally verified assessment of our animal care programme demonstrates our continued commitment in setting, achieving and maintaining the highest standards in our work to directly promote scientific validity and improve outcomes.”
“It [accreditation] recognizes a university-wide commitment to premier animal care and will open more doors for federal funding for animal research that will ultimately benefit Idaho agriculture.”
“Achieving accreditation means that CU Anschutz goes above and beyond the bare minimum regulatory requirements and sets the highest standards for animal care and use. It also means that we are committed to the welfare of animals by performing a full self-review followed by a review by our peers to ensure continuous improvement.”
“I think accreditation is a testament to our people and facilities; we received this accreditation without any findings that would have indicated we needed to change or improve our practices. We take animal welfare seriously and work to continue to educate not only our employees, but our students about the importance of animal care.”
“This accreditation opens the door to new collaborations with other organizations and universities, more funding and a higher quality of research for various colleges at UI, including the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the College of Natural Resources.”
The overwhelming majority of institutions participating in the AAALAC accreditation program place high value on the credibility and accuracy that comes with maintaining AAALAC accreditation: 92% say that it “shows evidence of quality, credibility and professionalism”, while another 70% say that having AAALAC accreditation assures that their institution’s activities are done correctly.
High on the list of benefits institutions cite as part of earning and maintaining AAALAC accreditation is that AAALAC accreditation “conveys professionalism to the scientist community” (87%), displays a “positive public image and validates a program’s high standards” (86%) and that AAALAC’s standards “ensure high quality research” (79%).
The top 100 NIH grant-funded institutions with animal research programs are ALL accredited by AAALAC International.
(See the National Institutes for Health 2021 reporting: https://report.nih.gov/award/index.cfm)
“The process of earning and maintaining AAALAC International accreditation engages diverse institutional representatives—including researchers, veterinarians, technicians and administrators—in a rigorous, peer review of their animal program. This assessment ultimately results in improved animal welfare and better research practices and outcomes.”
“Participating in the accreditation program demonstrates an institution’s commitment to animal welfare in science. The process stimulates continuous improvement in program practices and care, and instills a sense of teamwork and pride among animal care personnel—those who provide much of the day-to-day care for an institution’s animals.”
Additional questions may be directed to accredit@aaalac.org.