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2004 Annual Report

Dear Donors:

The Committee members are pleased to report the significant accomplishments during the Foundation’s eight year, August 2003 through July 2004. They join me in thanking you for your financial support of research benefiting laboratory animals and those that care for them.

Research Grants

The mission of the Foundation is to award high quality research grants that will increase the body of knowledge in laboratory animal science and medicine. In July, after reviewing 43 research proposals, ACLAM awarded six grants (totaling $132,000). Since 1997, our Foundation has awarded $766,000 (average of six research grants per year).

  1. Thea Brabb, DVM, PhD, University of Washington “Analgesic Mitigation of Pain Associated with Embryo Transfer” The goal of these studies is to determine if pain is present in mice post embryo transfer. If pain is present, they will seek a practical analgesic protocol to relieve pain effectively.
  2. Melanie Ihrig, MS, DVM, Texas A&M University “Incorporation of Analgesics into Established Rodent Studies: Assessing the Effects on Experimental & Reproductive Outcomes” This project will examine the impact of analgesia on the experimental outcomes. The secondary objective is to further evaluate the effectiveness of these analgesics on alleviation of pain following a variety of surgical procedures in rats and mice.
  3. Stephen T. Kelley, MS, DVM, University of Washington “Flaviviral Screening & Seroepidemiology in Macaques: West Nile & Japanese Encephalitis Viruses” These studies, using Macaca nemestrina, will identify commercial test kits to provide consistent and verified results and explore the Flavivirus antibody isotype, relative titers, and persistence.
  4. Henry and Lois Foster Grant Atul J. Shukla, PhD, University of Tennessee “Controlled Release of Analgesics in Mice” The objectives of this project are to evaluate biodegradable injectable gels for delivery of buprenorphine in vitro and in vivo.
  5. Grant made with assistance of Aventis Pharmaceuticals, AALAS, & AAALAC Jennifer K. Pullium, MVB, Emory University “Evaluation of Current Standards for Frequency of Wire Bar Lid and Filter Top Sanitization in Rodent Caging” The objective is to evaluate the frequency with which wire bar lids and filter tops should be sanitized comparing results using ATP measurements and RODAC plates.
  6. ER Griffin Research Foundation Grant Jeanette E. Purcell, DVM, DACLAM, Tulane University/Tulane National Primate Research Center “Shedding of Herpes B Virus: A Comparison of SIV-positive and SIV-negative Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)” These studies will determine the frequency of SIV-positive macaques shedding B virus vs. SIV-negative animals; attempt to correlate shedding to the presence of herpetic lesions; and the correlation of shedding to CD4/CD8 T-Cell counts and B virus antibody.

Congratulations to the investigators in these laboratories!

Now it is your turn! Your assistance through submitting a research proposal or encouraging a colleague to apply will be critical to grant making in 2005 and beyond. The next application deadline will be February 2, 2005. The RFP and application guidelines are available on the web site (www.aclam.org). The Foundation Committee thanks the Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation for their continued support. For more information on zoonotic research grants, check the ACLAM Foundation RFP or visit the Griffin Foundation web site (www.ergriffinresearch.org).

Fund Raising

The success of the fund raising campaign is attributable to your generosity and the generosity of many donors. Since the ACLAM Board of Directors (BOD) continue to pay the modest administrative costs for the Foundation, one hundred percent (100%) of your gift dollars have supported grant awards.

Since the last annual report, the Foundation received $223,000 in gifts and interest. The outstanding pledge balance stands at $232,000. The following table breaks down the Foundation Grant Making and Endowment accounts:

  Gifts in Past Year Pledges
Grant Making $159,500 $178,000
Endowment $63,500 $54,000
Total $223,000 $232,000

This total of “Gifts in the Past Year” was up over the prior year. The number of first time donors from inside ACLAM continues to increase thanks in large measure to Forum related fund raiser’s. The Auction/Raffle coordinators, Drs. Kathy Murray and Marilyn Brown, continued the tradition of good natured fun while raising $11,000. The ACLAM Foundation Golf Tournament, under the leadership of Drs. Lyndon Goodly and Marc Hulin, “birdied” again adding over $10,000. Taken together, these dedicated volunteers and Foundation donors raised enough to fund another research grant.

The ACLAM’s President’s Circle for Sustained Giving continued to grow into 2004. [The President’s Circle members pledge $500 per year for 10 years to the Foundation or about $350 out of pocket after taxes.] The President’s Circle membership stood at 74. The new members, during the reporting period, pledged a combined $78,000: Drs. Bill Britz, Sam Cartner, Brian Ermeling, Marcia Etheridge, Craig Frisk, Tom Goodwin, Lisa Halliday, Maureen Hargaden, Margaret Landi, Kathy Murray, John Norton, Scott Perkins, Mark St. Claire, Linda Toth, and Janet Welter. In addition, several President Circle members, having completed their $5,000 pledges, have committed to a second pledge.

Your continued generosity will enable the funding of future research grants.

The Foundation Committee also solicits bequests/planned gifts for the Foundation’s Endowment. This account will ultimately grow large enough to provide a steady stream of investment income. That income will be used to supplement grant-making activity and provide the possibility of larger awards and multi-year research grants.

The Foundation Committee members want to recognize Dr. Jules Cass for establishing the Jules and Ruth Cass Summer Clerkship Award. Through an endowed account managed by the ACLAM Foundation, this clerkship will provide training in the laboratory animal medical field to an Ohio State veterinary student. The second “clerk” worked closely with Dr. Valerie Bergdall and other OSU staff members this summer. If you know a student in the vet. school at OSU, encourage them to contact Dr. Bergdall about future clerkship opportunities.

In Conclusion: Thank you again! Because of your support, the Foundation made substantial progress. The Committee members truly appreciate your generous response. As stated above, we need your help in soliciting high quality research proposals. Please do not hesitate to contact the Foundation if you have any suggestions or questions.

Martin L. Morin, DVM Chairman, ACLAM Foundation

October 14, 2004

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