|
Welcome to the Bureaucracy and Biomed page. This page provides you with a comprehensive genealogy of the Federal and non-profit organizations, agencies, institutes, offices, centers and laboratories involved in some fashion with the use of animals (with an emphasis on primates, both human and nonhuman), in biomedical research. All of the links below come together to give you an understanding of the relationships of all of these groups, and the effects they all have on the lives of nonhuman primates in the United States. Your tax dollars fund nearly every name or acronym you'll find on these pages, and nearly all of them [there are at least 70 Federal bodies (please don't be surprised if we've missed a few of the more well-hidden ones, and feel free to send us any that we've missed that you think should be identified)] in some way facilitate or perform biomedical research. We're talking over $15 billion dollars, nearly half of which, it is estimated, goes to fund biomedical research projects or institutions.
A few are groups involved in the protection of human subjects – they're here to give you an idea of the protections and consideration human apes enjoy - hopefully as you look more closely at the justifications for biomedical research you will look at those justifications and question the placement of the line between humans and the other primates. As you look over these documents, we hope you'll begin to replace the name of the protected group (e.g., children, mental institution residents, or prisoners) with "chimpanzee" or "macaque" in your mind. LPAG believes that the arguments used for defending these groups can easily and very logically be applied to monkeys and chimpanzees, and that nonhuman primates are as equally deserving of these protections as human research subjects.
|
This CHART [pdf] will give you a better understanding of the relationships between all of the government acronyms. *NOTE: we know the chart is a little difficult to read without magnification. We are working to correct the problem.
|
GLOSSARY - acronyms of agencies and research institutions involved in biomedical research. All descriptions were written and edited by members of LPAG, and are compiled from web site information and from personal experience. The opinions are LPAG's. All of the links are current as of February 2005.
|
CONTACT INFORMATION keeps you in touch with many of the organizations, agencies, institutes, offices, centers and laboratories responsible for or otherwise involved with biomedical research and the issues surrounding that work.
|
We've found this list of DATABASES quite useful. We've also included a couple of articles describing more searchable databases.
|
A Regulatory Overview
Institutions are required to follow certain regulations and policies that pertain to the use of animals in research and testing. The two main pieces of legislation that mandate the creation of standards and regulations of animal care and use are the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Health Research Extension Act (HREA). However, the regulations and standards written to address the AWA and HREA address minimal requirements only. There is much debate over whether or not the existing regulations offer adequate protection to animals used in research. LPAG feels that the standards do not offer adequate protection to primates in research, and, furthermore, LPAG does not support the use of primates in research....
>> read more [html] [pdf]
|
The Failure of Federal Animal Welfare Regulations to Promote the Well-Being of Nonhuman Primates Used in Biomedical Research
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was first passed by Congress in 1966, and was amended in 1970, 1976, 1985, and 1990. The Animal Welfare Act regulations set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations (specifically, 9 CFR) set forth minimum standards for the care and treatment of some nonhuman animals used in certain types of businesses and enterprises, including breeding, dealing, exhibition and traveling acts, and research. The AWA and 9 CFR apply only to dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and other warm-blooded animals, except for birds, mice, and rats. Cold-blooded animals, such as reptiles and amphibians are also not protected by the AWA and 9 CFR. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is charged with inspecting facilities that must adhere to the AWA and 9 CFR, and enforcing the federal regulations....
>> read more [html] [pdf]
|
So You Wanna Buy a Chimp? (on chimpanzees and the Endangered Species Act)
By most estimates, there are about 500 chimpanzees living in private hands in North America. Around 100 of the lucky ones are living in bona fide sanctuaries, from Canada to Florida to Oregon. The remaining 400 chimpanzees live in human homes, or are unwitting / nonconsenting employees of roadside zoos, greeting card photographers, special events enterprises (with names like "Party Chimps" or "Rent-a-Chimp"), and entertainment promoters....
>> read more [html] [pdf]
**LPAG DOES NOT CONDONE THE KEEPING OF NONHUMAN PRIMATES AS "PETS" IN HUMAN HOMES**
|
The Freedom of Information Act and State Open Records Laws
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as well as state open records laws, are powerful tools with which individuals can learn more about what goes on behind the closed doors of a biomedical research laboratory in the United States. Despite claims by biomedical research laboratories that the nonhuman animals they use are treated humanely, that biomedical research on nonhumans is vitally important, and that they are proud of the work done by the lab, research laboratories are closed-mouth about what is actually done to the nonhuman animals in the name of science, and how the animals are housed and cared for. The public is not allowed access to these institutions, despite the fact that the public funds most biomedical research on nonhuman animals. Even employees of a laboratory are often unaware of the full scope of the research that takes place at their institution, or of any failures by their institution to comply with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). By using federal and state open records laws, we can gain some access and insight into the true nature of biomedical research on nonhuman animals....
>> read more [html] [pdf]
|
|
