The Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) has created a reference page entitled Obtaining an Assurance to help institutions apply for their initial assurance for animal activities. This Assurance is required for an institute to receive Public Health Service (PHS) funding. Once an award is made to an institution, the PHS contacts OLAW and determines the status of their Assurance, if there is none or it has expired, then OLAW will contact the institution to begin the Assurance process. Only after Assurance is granted will award monies be released. There are three types of Assurances, Domestic, Interinstitutional, and Foreign and their terms range from 4-5 years before renewal.
