Laboratory research-grade animals required for biomedical research purposes including specialized pathogen-free inbred and outbred species as required and specified in approved protocol research projects.

This purchase is exempt from the usual selection processes of the Procurement Code because the procurement expenditure is for performing sponsored research and other sponsored activities under grants and contracts funded by the sponsor or by sources other than State appropriations. (30 ILCS 500 / 1-13(b)(8)) Purchase of laboratory animals from the same vendor provides less variability in research and greatly improves the quality and reproducibility of the studies. Minor genetic variations occur between colonies maintained by different vendors and can interfere with consistency of experimental results and can jeopardize critical and costly research.