Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC) of Tulane University is one of seven National Primate Research Centers (NPRC) sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The TNPRC is dedicated to providing infrastructure and support for basic and applied research to advance scientific knowledge and improve human and animal health and well-being. The TNPRC specific pathogen-free (SPF) rhesus macaque breeding colony is among the largest in the NPRC program, with a census nearing 5000, and the TNPRC AIDS research program is the largest research program at the Center. TNPRC’s SPF breeding colony serves as a national resource for NIH-funded investigators and has supplied 2155 animals for research programs across the US in the past five years, with the vast majority assigned to AIDS-related studies. Current NPRC breeding operations cannot meet the continued high national demand for SPF rhesus macaques. The NIH-sponsored 2018 NHP Evaluation and Analysis Project, designed to enhance understanding of the demand for and supply of nonhuman primates (NHPs) within the US, noted that improving infrastructure and providing support for expansion of NHP breeding colonies is necessary to ensure adequate supply of NHPs for biomedical research. The 2023 NIH- commissioned independent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Consensus Study Report on Nonhuman Primate Models in Biomedical Research: State of the Science and Future Needs recognized the worsening shortage of NHP resources for NIH-sponsored research and emphasized the importance of NHP research resources in responding to US public health emergencies and advancing biomedical research. The NASEM report concluded that the US needs to prioritize expansion of domestic NHP breeding programs. Along with funding from the NIH, the TNPRC has committed funds and initiated projects to 1) improve the breeding colony management program and 2) expand infrastructure to meet the current and projected national demand. A primary component of the long-term infrastructure improvement plan is to increase the number of indoor/outdoor housing facilities that will provide additional protection from inclement weather and complement existing outdoor NHP housing enclosures. The proposed project will construct indoor/outdoor enclosures to house and breed SPF rhesus macaques on the TNPRC breeding colony campus and provide infrastructure for current and future expansion. These facilities will support our commitment to expand production of SPF rhesus macaques to be used for NIH-established priority research areas (AIDS-related research) at the TNPRC and nationally. The facilities have been designed in alignment with our long-term infrastructure improvement plan to enhance protection of animals, increase overall group housing flexibility and capacity, and provide novel and proven environmental enhancement. The animals produced as a result of this infrastructure improvement project will help address the national shortage of SPF macaques.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
