This week, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiated an information request for input on the report of the NIH Council of Councils Working Group on the Use of Chimpanzees in NIH-Supported Research. Comments from the research community and other interested parties may be submitted until March 23, 2013 via this NIH website. While comments are being accepted and until decisions are made, NIH will continue its current policy on Research Involving Chimpanzees – NOT-OD-12-025. The report include further explanation of what constitutes “ethologically appropriate physical and social environments” for housing research chimpanzees and proposes retiring most chimpanzees currently involved in NIH-supported research retaining only approximately 50 chimpanzees in an appropriate setting(s) with periodic evaluation as to the appropriateness of this number. The committee also proposes new procedures for future proposals and review of proposals for research involving chimpanzees.
