ARCH System Go-Live & Required Action Items

As Research Animal Resources prepares for the official launch of the Animal Research Care Hub (ARCH) on September 30, 2026, researchers and laboratory personnel must complete key setup steps to ensure seamless access to the new platform. ARCH replaces legacy paper-based systems to serve as a unified digital platform for vivarium management, electronic health records, and research administration.
 

Required ARCH Orientation & Key Training Dates

Comprehensive training is essential to establishing user permissions and ensuring that research teams can successfully navigate ARCH prior to go-live.

  • August 28: Complete the foundational ARCH Orientation and Navigation (R1000) course in the Training Hub. Completion is a mandatory prerequisite for account access. Note that some individuals have experienced a delay between enrolling in the course and the course being available. Individuals should consider enrolling prior to being ready to take the course.
  • September 2: Users who completed orientation will receive formal account notification, system links, practice exercises, and self-guided reference resources.
  • September 8–29: Attend topical hybrid training sessions covering core workflows, hands-on functionality, and practical operational scenarios. Consult the ARCH Training Calendar for session dates and times; Google calendar and webinar invitations will be sent by September 1.
  • September 30: ARCH system officially goes live.
     

Immediate Action Needed: Mandatory Lab Data Collection

To ensure system permissions are accurately assigned and animal colony records are populated prior to launch, the ARCH Implementation Team requires baseline setup data from every research lab.

  • Submit Laboratory Roster: PIs and lab primary contacts received an email from ARCH Support ([email protected]) on Wednesday, August 18 with the subject line: ARCH Lab User Data Request. Please provide a complete roster of all personnel needing system access by August 25 to ensure access is granted by September 2. Because ARCH roles do not directly correlate with standard job classifications, missing roster data will prevent access. 
  • Submit Colony Data: On September 8, PIs and lab primary contacts will receive a prepopulated listing of cage information as of August 19. This information must be reviewed, updated, and returned on September 14. This data will be used to create the animal records in ARCH.
     

Critical Ordering Adjustments

  • As a reminder, we will not accept animal deliveries the week of September 7, due to the short holiday week. For animals required the week of September 14, please submit orders by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 1.
  • To ensure arrivals for the week of September 21, submit all orders following the normal deadline of 4:30 p.m. on Monday, September 14.
  • We will not place any animal orders or accept any animal deliveries the week of September 28, to accommodate our ARCH go-live.
  • Please limit animal orders scheduled for delivery during the week of October 5. To ensure animal arrivals for the week of October 5, please submit all orders by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22.
     

August 11 RAR Town Hall Highlights & Resources

During the August 11 Town Hall session, Lisa Johnson, Executive Director of Research Animal Resources (RAR), provided a comprehensive update on the ARCH implementation roadmap and daily user interactions.

For questions, please contact [email protected] or visit the ARCH website for more details.