# Conversion of Bryan Cagewash Area to Rodent Housing Space

> **NIH NIH R24** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $383,202

## Abstract

Duke University is committed to scientific research and its translation to improve human health, which includes
appropriate use of animals in research. In 2019, Duke completed an updated Master Plan for Duke’s animal
program showing insufficient rodent space for existing researchers and future recruits using conservative
census growth projections. In FY2020, Duke researchers required significant use of rodent species and were
responsible for over $109 million in annual direct costs from the National Institutes of Health for research using
rodents. The strength of Duke’s research programs with rodents is projected at the continued growth of 7%
annually. Importantly, current demand already exceeds capacity. As an element of Duke’s updated Master
Plan to expand housing space for rodents to meet current and projected research needs and to enable
repurposing vacated space, renovation of a cagewash facility along with providing caging and
ancillary items to equip 614 net square feet (nsf) located in the shared-use Bryan Research Animal
Facility (BRAF) is planned. This proposal leverages ongoing, institutionally funded work to relocate and
update Duke’s existing cagewash facilities for rodents to an off-site location (opening in 2022 with automated,
energy-efficient equipment), allowing this proposal to focus on renovation of a vacated cagewash space in an
on-campus vivarium to meet growing research efforts of the Departments of Neurobiology and Biomedical
Engineering (BME) as well as the Center of In-Vivo Microscopy (CIVM). Specifically, we propose
purchasing of individually ventilated cages (IVC) to expand mouse housing in the shared-use BRAF,
which is uniquely and efficiently operated to support independent and collaborative research using
rodents. The BRAF is a modern vivarium integral to the success of its users’ research objectives, is ideally
located for collaborations, and is unique in permitting longitudinal studies of rodents, particularly when animals
need to be returned to their housing location after being taken to imaging areas and researcher laboratories
containing specialized instrumentation critical to their research objectives. In addition, this facility supports the
ability of the CIVM, Neurobiology and BME researchers to conduct studies with rodents from other institutions
without having to undergo re-derivation or an extensive quarantine period. The BRAF is an essential animal
facility in Duke’s research program and needs additional rodent housing for current and future researchers. As
this renovation is within an existing centrally managed vivarium, the operation and oversight of the space will
be incorporated seamlessly into the veterinary medical, animal care, and administrative structure of Duke’s
Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR). The proposed project will leverage institutional investments
to increase rodent housing capacity and provide state-of-the-art space for basic, translational, and pre-clinical
studies with...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10531763
- **Project number:** 1R24OD033679-01
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN N. NORTON
- **Activity code:** R24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $383,202
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10531763

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10531763, Conversion of Bryan Cagewash Area to Rodent Housing Space (1R24OD033679-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10531763. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*