The Attending Veterinarian (AV) or the AV’s designee and the IACUC, in conjunction with the applicable Principal Investigator (PI), if any, is responsible for determining whether a Brown NHP is eligible for retirement. A Brown NHP is eligible for retirement when (1) the below-listed conditions are met, and (2) the AV is otherwise satisfied that retirement is appropriate in light of the animal’s history (including research history), the AV’s physical examination of the animal, the proposed animal use, and other factors the AV deems applicable and appropriate.

For a Brown NHP to be eligible for retirement, the following conditions must be met:

• The retirement complies with applicable local, state, federal, and international laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines;
• The retirement does not constitute a prohibited gift;
• The retirement complies with any requirements set by the relevant funding source, vendor, or research sponsor;
• At the time of retirement, the Brown NHP is not actively involved in an IACUC-approved animal research protocol;
• If the Brown NPH is male, it is vasectomized prior to retirement; if the Brown NHP is female, it has received, at the AV’s direction and prior to retirement, surgical and/or medical treatment to ensure that it will not be able to become pregnant; and
• The AV or AV’s designee performs a complete physical examination on the Brown NHP and determines with confirmation from the IACUC that the Brown NHP is healthy with no detectable naturally or experimentally derived injury or disease that would impair its ability to thrive without special care.
  • The following characteristics define a healthy NHP for purposes of this policy:
    • NHP is in overall good health;
    • NHP lacks any major abnormal morphology;
    • NHP does not exhibit any major behavioral issues; and
    • NHP is fully recovered and healed from any surgical procedure.

Brown has a formal agreement with a specific primate retirement facility that will provide for the housing and care of retired Brown NHPs at its facility. Information about this primate retirement facility is available on request. This agreement represents a collaborative effort between Office of Vice President for Research (OVPR), the School of Engineering, the Division of Biology and Medicine, University Finance, Center for Animal Resources and Education (CARE), the IACUC, and researchers at Brown. All investigators should consider this primate retirement facility as the retirement home of choice when planning NHP retirements.

If an investigator wishes to explore other primate retirement facility options, the investigator must contact the Brown University AV to confirm that the proposed primate retirement facilities meet the necessary standards set by Brown for Brown NHP retirement facilities.

If an investigator wishes to use a primate retirement facility other than the primate retirement facility referenced above, the AV and the IACUC must review and approve the proposed primate retirement facility to confirm that the primate retirement facility is acceptable and meets Brown’s standards for NHP retirement.

To facilitate the AV’s review, the AV may request information from the proposed primate retirement facility. Requested information may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Background information on the management structure and oversight of the facility (e.g., board of directors, trustees);
• Information on the primate retirement facility’s finances and how it allocates financial resources;
• Staffing information, such as the number of personnel employed by the primate retirement facility and information about employee education and training;
• Background information on how NHPs are cared for once they arrive at the facility (e.g., acclimation, diet, enrichment, monitoring frequency, health assessments, veterinary care, euthanasia protocols);
• Contact information for the facility’s veterinarian(s);
• Emergency or disaster planning documents;
• Information on the date and findings of the facility’s most recent Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) site visit, and/or information from other relevant accrediting organizations;
• If applicable, the facility’s position statement on the use of animals in research;
• Reference names and contact information; and
• Legal documents that may be required, including transfer of ownership forms and nondisclosure agreements, which documents will be reviewed by Brown’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC).

If the AV and IACUC approve a proposed primate retirement facility and the proposed primate retirement facility agrees to initiate a transfer, the AV and will review the relevant legal documents in conjunction with the OGC. Legal documents may include the following:

• Confirmation of the animal’s health and eligibility for retirement;
• A release of ownership of the animal; or
• A transfer of liability to the receiving organization.

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