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The Board on Animal Health Sciences, Conservation, and Research, previously known as the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, is a board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS). Since 1953 it has facilitated research on current animal welfare practices both inside and outside the laboratory to encourage humane treatment of animals. ILAR's mission is to remain consistent and accountable in their work with animal research guidelines. Along with hosting workshops and events, they have released a number of publications such as the ILAR Journal and the "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals." The guide is used by many significant laboratory organizations, including the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Academy of Sciences. Their publications provides guidelines and tools for animal work in laboratories throughout the United States and internationally. The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research has been criticized by organizations such as the American Psychological Association for leaving certain loopholes in animal testing guidelines that researchers could potentially use to justify inhumane animal treatment.

Background
From 1953 to 2022, The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research led the guidelines for the humane treatment and care of animals within research. In 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine decided to rename ILAR to the "Board on Animal Health Sciences, Conservation, and Research." This change was made, according to the NAS, in order to remain consistent with the other boards that remain important in the animal research field. In addition, the board previously felt as though the "ILAR" did not encompass the range of responsibilities that must be addressed.

History
In the late 1940's, the creation of the Polio vaccine, created through the usage of animal testing, triggered increased attention toward the importance of animal-based research within the scientific community. One result of this increased attention began through the work of five veterinarians, referred to as "The Chicago Five", in Chicago, Illinois, USA. During this time, multiple research institutes in Chicago decided to hire five veterinarians to manage the various animal departments used for experimentation, once more, due to increased animal usage. Dr. Paul Weiss was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and the boss of Nathan Brewer, one of the "Chicago five" at the University of Chicago. As Weiss's animal research continued to develop and Brewer's management grew over a larger variety of species, Weiss felt as though an official institution was necessary for creating ethical and resource-based guidelines.

On July 10th, 1952, Paul Weiss convened a meeting through the National Academy of Sciences, as chaired by Geneticist Clarence Cook Little. Through the jurisdiction of the National Research Council, this conference procured the establishment of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, in which they deemed necessary to provide guidelines and resources depicting which animals would be necessary for certain experimentation and why.

In 1954, Orson Eaton, a geneticist from the Bureau of Animal Industry, was appointed as the first director of the ILAR. Under his leadership, the ILAR was headed by scientists who represented their various fields-- one of these scientists was Nathan Brewer, still referred to as one of the "Chicago Five." Under Brewer, the first subcommittee within the ILAR was formed, in which the first publications and guidelines were released. The subcommittee, on Health Standards, produced a report called Parasitic and Infectious Diseases of Laboratory Animals, in which the first animal research guidelines were produced, marking a historical milestone for the validity of the ILAR.

Mission and Core Values
The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research covers a variety of tasks in overseeing animal research. One large task is to encompass certain mission and core values, in order to remain consistent and accountable within their work. Their mission is to "[examine] innovative animal models and alternative research approaches; [advise] on the care and use of animals in research in humane and evidence-informed ways; and [enhance] understanding of the need for animal studies".

Their core values are:


 * ILAR supports the responsible use of animals in research, testing, and education as a key component to advancing the health and quality of life of humans and animals.
 * ILAR promotes high-quality science and humane care and use of research animals based upon the principles of refinement, replacement, and reduction (the 3Rs) and high ethical standards.
 * ILAR fosters best practices that enhance human and animal welfare by organizing and disseminating information and by facilitating dialogue among interested parties.

The 3Rs of Animal Use Consideration
The "3Rs" are one of the Mission and Core Values that the ILAR considers within their work. The "3Rs" of replacement, reduction, and refinement are a constructed framework dedicated to providing specific guidelines for animal usage in experimentation. ILAR uses these guidelines to determine current good lab practices in ethical use of lab animals. ILAR also uses the "3R's" to determine when animal usage is necessary for certain experiments and in writing certain publications. The three components of these guidelines are that of "Sustaining Public Confidence", "Enabling Quality Science", and "Safeguarding Animal Welfare". When determining the extent animal involvement, researchers should be able to present facts and proof to support each component of the experiment. These guidelines are not meant to replace moral questions, but are meant to act as a system of animal experiment regulation within the ILAR.

Workshop Reports
The Board on Animal Health Sciences, Conservation, and Research provides workshops on information shared in their publications and guidelines they create. They provide trainings on lab animal care to graduate students, and provide insight to lab researchers on how to apply new developments in protocol or resources within their workplace.

Publications History
The ILAR Journal was authored by independent experts in the animal research field, published approximately quarterly from 1956 to 2021. The first report detailed information on animal diseases in Laboratories. Titled Parasitic and Infectious Diseases of Laboratory Animals, it was the first of its kind since Karl F Meyer's work in the earlier half of the 21st century. It began as a newsletter, but soon developed into a peer-reviewed journal. The journal aimed to make objective scientific information about animal research and appropriate practices available at a low cost to the general public, independent to the opinions of the organization itself. The ILAR Journal has since released volumes on topics such as Design and Statistical analysis of experiments pertaining to animals, fish sedation methods , and differences between types of antibodies.

The ILAR Journal took a hiatus in 2021, claiming the need to rework the presentation of scientific material and information in the digital age of the 21st century and a need for greater funding. Previous issues of the journal may still be accessed on the Oxford University Press academic research platform.

ILAR endorsed the publication of the Guide for Laboratory Animal Facilities and Care also known as The Guide by the Animal Care Panel in 1963. While not originally authored by the ILAR, many of the contributors belonged to both organizations, and the ILAR took over publication of The Guide after the first issue. The Guide for Laboratory Animal Facilities and Care details guidelines for the humane treatment of animals in varying forms of captivity: for purposes of research, veterinary care, policymaking and more. The most recent issue is the Eighth Edition, published in 2011 and is available at no cost online on the National Academies website. This publication is also available in Japanese.

Criticisms
The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research considers core values and ethical applications regarding animal testing and research. In 2011, the American Psychological Association criticized ILAR's 8th edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals  for seeming like a list of requirements rather than guidelines. In the field of animal testing, a common theme of criticism has to do with finding "gaps" and loopholes in requirements, such as the ones found in the ILAR.

An examples of the "gaps" found in animal testing requirements can be seen within the Animal Welfare Act of 1966. The Animal Welfare Act (1966) was passed in order to ensure the protection and well-being of animals within research, following the outbreak story of Pepper the Dog, a stolen pet who has been killed due to animal testing. The AWA legalized many Mission and Core Values that the ILAR already attributed, such as expanding care for all animals when deemed possible and necessary. However, due to the work of private investigation as well as inside-sources, many animal research testing facilities were revealed to not be adhering with the requirements and values of the AWA, following its enactment.

The lack of adherence to requirements under the AWA has resulted in increasing criticisms toward the usage of animals in research as a whole. In turn, the ILAR's participation in animal testing aligns with these criticisms.