The Committee on Education Programs in Laboratory Animal Science (EPLAS) has prepared this guide to aid institutions in implementing an education and training program that will meet the expectations of the Public Health Service (PHS). This guide was designed to fulfill several purposes. First, it is intended to assist institutional officials and institutional animal care and use committees (IACUCs) in determining the scope and depth of education training programs that will meet both institutional needs and the requirements of the PHS. Second, it is offered as a reference for the person or committee assigned the responsibility for coordinating these programs. Finally, portions of the guide will be useful to those people (content experts) who develop the material to be presented. To accommodate the diverse backgrounds and needs of personnel, the committee has developed a multiphase program. Those topics considered essential elements for all personnel have been arranged into a single introductory module. The next three modules cover specific species, pain-management, and surgery. The next section of the guide contains detailed content outlines of the subjects covered in the four modules. The material in the modules is cross-referenced to appropriate subtopics in this section. Information on the following topics is provided: (1) laws, regulations, and policies that impact on the care and use of animals; (2) ethical and scientific issues; (3) alternatives to dissection; (4) responsibilities of the institution, the animal care and use committee, and the research and veterinary staffs; (5) pain and distress; (6) anesthetics, tranquilizers, analgesics, and neuromuscular blocking agents; (7) survival surgery and postsurgical care; (8) euthanasia; (9) husbandry, care, and the importance of the environment; and (10) a species-specific overview. The next section contains sources of information, selected bibliography, and audiovisual materials. The last section provides information on how to develop, deliver, and evaluate an educational program. Principles for the utilization and care of vertebrate animals used in testing, research, and training; a description of the Animal Welfare Information Center; and samples of learning objectives or self-assessment statements that coordinators may want to use or adapt for use at their institutions are appended. (KR)