# Presentation: 358196

## OVERVIEW

**OVERVIEW**
**THE NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTERS**
- Jack Harding, PhD
- Director, Primate Resources
- Division of Comparative Medicine
- NCRR / NIH

**Washington NPRC**

**California**
**   ****NPRC**

**South West**
**     ****NPRC**

**Tulane NPRC**

**Harvard, New England NPRC**

**Wisconsin NPRC**

**Emory University, Yerkes NPRC**

**Oregon NPRC**

## GOALS OF THE NPRCs

**Provide infrastructure and expertise for researchers using NHPs**
**Preference given to NIH grantees**
**Each of the 8 NPRCs is a national resource**

**Notes:**
Since 1997, NIH has had a moratorium on chimpanzee breeding at all facilities it supports. An advisory group or working group made up of council members and others began reviewing the moratorium last year as part of NIH’s chimpanzee management plan. 
The meeting was closed to the public but the group accepted comments which the Humane Society was encouraged to provide.  Ultimately, the findings of the group were reported at our council meeting, and Humane Society representatives asked if they could attend, and we work hard to make sure they were accommodated. Based on the recommendation of the working group, NCRR decided to extend the moratorium on chimpanzee breeding until December 2007.  The findings and end result were immediately posted on our web site.

I use this situation because Humane Society was able to reassure its membership that it had a voice in the process, was on hand to hear the results, and proceeded to send “thank you” e-mails by the hundreds to Dr. Grieder.    

But of course, they and other groups have also started campaigns to have the moratorium extended.

## THE NPRC BASE GRANT (P51) 

**Funds the basic infrastructure of the Center**
**Does not fund R01-type research directly**
**Examples of activities funded:**
- Administration
- Animal facilities
- Cores (e.g., immunology, flow cytometry, genetics, etc.)
- Pilot research program
- Resource improvement projects
- Animal welfare

**Notes:**
Since 1997, NIH has had a moratorium on chimpanzee breeding at all facilities it supports. An advisory group or working group made up of council members and others began reviewing the moratorium last year as part of NIH’s chimpanzee management plan. 
The meeting was closed to the public but the group accepted comments which the Humane Society was encouraged to provide.  Ultimately, the findings of the group were reported at our council meeting, and Humane Society representatives asked if they could attend, and we work hard to make sure they were accommodated. Based on the recommendation of the working group, NCRR decided to extend the moratorium on chimpanzee breeding until December 2007.  The findings and end result were immediately posted on our web site.

I use this situation because Humane Society was able to reassure its membership that it had a voice in the process, was on hand to hear the results, and proceeded to send “thank you” e-mails by the hundreds to Dr. Grieder.    

But of course, they and other groups have also started campaigns to have the moratorium extended.

## NPRC PERSONNEL 

**PIs:  High ranking university officials, e.g., Provost, V.P. for Health Sciences**
**Directors:  Highly experienced senior scientists and primatologists**
**Personnel involved with infrastructure and husbandry, e.g., veterinarians, administrators, technicians, animal care staff**
**Core Scientists (doctoral level)**
- Provide scientific expertise needed for the Center
- Dual role:  resources for the community and researchers

**Notes:**
Since 1997, NIH has had a moratorium on chimpanzee breeding at all facilities it supports. An advisory group or working group made up of council members and others began reviewing the moratorium last year as part of NIH’s chimpanzee management plan. 
The meeting was closed to the public but the group accepted comments which the Humane Society was encouraged to provide.  Ultimately, the findings of the group were reported at our council meeting, and Humane Society representatives asked if they could attend, and we work hard to make sure they were accommodated. Based on the recommendation of the working group, NCRR decided to extend the moratorium on chimpanzee breeding until December 2007.  The findings and end result were immediately posted on our web site.

I use this situation because Humane Society was able to reassure its membership that it had a voice in the process, was on hand to hear the results, and proceeded to send “thank you” e-mails by the hundreds to Dr. Grieder.    

But of course, they and other groups have also started campaigns to have the moratorium extended.

## NPRC CAPABILITIES 

**P51 budget was about $79 million in FY 07**
**House ca. 28,000 animals**
- 60% are rhesus macaques (17,000)
- Also:  baboons (4600), other macaques (4000), new world monkeys (900)
- A small number (300) of chimpanzees
**Core Scientists (approximately 300)**
**Interacted with about 2000 Affiliate Scientists in FY 07**
**Training**
- NHP veterinarians, grad. students and post-docs, foreign primatologists
**Supported about 1000 individual projects in FY 07**
**Support many scientific disciplines, including models for most major human diseases**

**Notes:**
Since 1997, NIH has had a moratorium on chimpanzee breeding at all facilities it supports. An advisory group or working group made up of council members and others began reviewing the moratorium last year as part of NIH’s chimpanzee management plan. 
The meeting was closed to the public but the group accepted comments which the Humane Society was encouraged to provide.  Ultimately, the findings of the group were reported at our council meeting, and Humane Society representatives asked if they could attend, and we work hard to make sure they were accommodated. Based on the recommendation of the working group, NCRR decided to extend the moratorium on chimpanzee breeding until December 2007.  The findings and end result were immediately posted on our web site.

I use this situation because Humane Society was able to reassure its membership that it had a voice in the process, was on hand to hear the results, and proceeded to send “thank you” e-mails by the hundreds to Dr. Grieder.    

But of course, they and other groups have also started campaigns to have the moratorium extended.

## CURRENT CHALLENGES FROM A PROGRAMMATIC PERSPECTIVE 

**Maintain and expand the program in the context of flat budgets**
**Respond to changes in demand**
**Enhance integration of activities among the NPRCs and with other NCRR grantees**
- Build on extensive collaborations among the NPRCs
- Specific working groups
-     Colony management, informatics, genetics and genome banking, training, etc.

**Notes:**
Since 1997, NIH has had a moratorium on chimpanzee breeding at all facilities it supports. An advisory group or working group made up of council members and others began reviewing the moratorium last year as part of NIH’s chimpanzee management plan. 
The meeting was closed to the public but the group accepted comments which the Humane Society was encouraged to provide.  Ultimately, the findings of the group were reported at our council meeting, and Humane Society representatives asked if they could attend, and we work hard to make sure they were accommodated. Based on the recommendation of the working group, NCRR decided to extend the moratorium on chimpanzee breeding until December 2007.  The findings and end result were immediately posted on our web site.

I use this situation because Humane Society was able to reassure its membership that it had a voice in the process, was on hand to hear the results, and proceeded to send “thank you” e-mails by the hundreds to Dr. Grieder.    

But of course, they and other groups have also started campaigns to have the moratorium extended.

## CURRENT CHALLENGES FROM A PROGRAMMATIC PERSPECTIVE, CONT.

**Integration with CTSAs**
**Enhance and enlarge colonies of specific pathogen free rhesus and other NHPs**
**Enhance informatics capabilities**
- Use the BIRN infrastructure for complex problems
- Develop a single database as point of entry for outside investigators

**Notes:**
Since 1997, NIH has had a moratorium on chimpanzee breeding at all facilities it supports. An advisory group or working group made up of council members and others began reviewing the moratorium last year as part of NIH’s chimpanzee management plan. 
The meeting was closed to the public but the group accepted comments which the Humane Society was encouraged to provide.  Ultimately, the findings of the group were reported at our council meeting, and Humane Society representatives asked if they could attend, and we work hard to make sure they were accommodated. Based on the recommendation of the working group, NCRR decided to extend the moratorium on chimpanzee breeding until December 2007.  The findings and end result were immediately posted on our web site.

I use this situation because Humane Society was able to reassure its membership that it had a voice in the process, was on hand to hear the results, and proceeded to send “thank you” e-mails by the hundreds to Dr. Grieder.    

But of course, they and other groups have also started campaigns to have the moratorium extended.

## INTRODUCTION OF THE EIGHT NPRC DIRECTORS

- Dr. John VandeBerg, Southwest NPRC
- Dr. Ronald Desrosiers, New England NPRC
- Dr. Stuart Zola, Yerkes NPRC
- Dr. Dallas Hyde, California NPRC
- Dr. David Anderson, Washington NPRC
- Dr. Nancy Haigwood, Oregon NPRC
- Dr. Joseph Kemnitz, Wisconsin NPRC
- Dr. Andrew Lackner, Tulane NPRC

**Notes:**
Since 1997, NIH has had a moratorium on chimpanzee breeding at all facilities it supports. An advisory group or working group made up of council members and others began reviewing the moratorium last year as part of NIH’s chimpanzee management plan. 
The meeting was closed to the public but the group accepted comments which the Humane Society was encouraged to provide.  Ultimately, the findings of the group were reported at our council meeting, and Humane Society representatives asked if they could attend, and we work hard to make sure they were accommodated. Based on the recommendation of the working group, NCRR decided to extend the moratorium on chimpanzee breeding until December 2007.  The findings and end result were immediately posted on our web site.

I use this situation because Humane Society was able to reassure its membership that it had a voice in the process, was on hand to hear the results, and proceeded to send “thank you” e-mails by the hundreds to Dr. Grieder.    

But of course, they and other groups have also started campaigns to have the moratorium extended.