Working Groups

To address the shortage of qualified candidates that bring veterinary and infectious disease experience to positions in the containment laboratory community. The network fosters the education and training of world-class personnel, providing job opportunities for graduates of member universities and producing well-trained and experienced employees for U.S. federal and university high-containment laboratory facilities.

Facilitates the development of a best practices and lessons learned repository from a community of veterinary experts that face the unique challenges of managing animals in containment. The collective experience of the membership coupled with broad veterinary expertise enables the exchange of ideas and information to maximize the health and welfare of a wide range of research animals in containment, including rodents, small animals, livestock, non-human primates, and wildlife species.

Identifies core areas of collective expertise and any gaps in knowledge represented across member institutions and subsequently provides a platform for the exchange of ideas as well as support for programs to address gaps. The network facilitates open communication and resource maximization across specialized facilities to promote scientific excellence individually and collectively across network members.

Exchanges operational knowledge and collective best practices obtained through years of successful and safe biocontainment operations across the network member institutions. The network encourages staff visits, work exchanges, and training opportunities between member institutions to create a national technical capacity that could be drawn upon during an emergency response.