The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will establish a new standing committee to provide a venue for the exchange of ideas and knowledge sharing among federal government agencies, the private sector, academic communities, and other stakeholders engaged in animal research, research training, experimentation, biological testing or for related purposes or other special categories involving research animals. The standing committee’s activities will be used to inform any future updates or additions to The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide), and related products that would be generated by separate, ad hoc committees associated with this project. Specifically, the standing committee will:

• Engage with the animal research stakeholder communities on a regular basis and monitor issues relevant to animal research and humane animal use by scientists in a variety of topical areas and settings, including but not limited to diverse research environments (e.g., physical building laboratories, field laboratories, and other terrestrial or marine settings); various animal types (e.g. wildlife, domestic, companion animals, pets, and other privately owned animals); and other special categories;

• Provide a forum to discuss issues related to the enhancement of animal well-being, the quality of research, and the advancement of scientific knowledge that is relevant to both humans and animals (e.g., data availability, rigor, transparency and translatability to improve research involving animal models, institutional protocol reviews);

• Identify topics which may be considered for any future updates to the Guide and other related products;
• Provide a forum for a discussion of methods of implementing a phased, iterative review-revision cycle of scientific evidence that would have the potential of leading to timely updates of the Guide and other related products;

• Provide forums for discussions about distribution platforms for content of the Guide and related products which could strengthen the confidence in, timeliness of, and usability and accessibility of information by stakeholders around the world.