ERDC Environmental Laboratory Animal Care and Use Program Attending Veterinarian

This Performance Work Statement (PWS) outlines requirements for a non-personal services contract to secure an Attending Veterinarian (AV) for the USACE Engineer Research and Development Center Environmental Laboratory (ERDC-EL) Animal Care and Use Program in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The primary objective is to maintain regulatory compliance with Department of Defense instructions, the Animal Welfare Act, and national accreditation through the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC). The contractor must hold a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, be licensed in Mississippi, and possess at least five years of AV experience in an AAALAC-accredited program. Key responsibilities span five core tasks: 1. **IACUC Program Support**: Serving as an independent, non-voting technical advisor to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, attending four annual meetings, and conducting semi-annual facility inspections. 2. **Program of Veterinary Care (POVC)**: Conducting annual reviews and updating the POVC, including revisions for newly introduced species. 3. **Technical and Veterinary Guidance**: Providing unlimited remote consultations with a 24-hour response time. 4. **Emergency Services**: Delivering on-site clinical care within four hours of notification (up to 20 emergency visits). 5. **Leadership Coordination**: Meeting quarterly with the IACUC Chairperson to align goals and prepare for external audits. Due to emergency response and operational needs, the AV's base of operations must be within 200 miles of Vicksburg. The contract defines structured timelines for deliverables, quality control standards, and security requirements, with performance evaluated under a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.