Animals in research
In order to conduct world-leading research, it is sometimes necessary for animals to be involved. Our research involving animals is undertaken with the highest standards of animal care and is only conducted when there are no feasible alternatives.
At the University of Exeter, some research involving animals is conducted in the fields of animal behaviour and cognition, ecology and conservation, ecotoxicology, immunology and neuroscience.
Our policy is to minimise the involvement of animals in research wherever possible.
Where research involving animals is necessary, the University conducts fieldwork to the highest professional standards, and where the research is conducted on University premises, provides housing and care that equals or exceeds legal requirements.
We are committed to ensuring an excellent culture of care when conducting research with animals, which is underpinned by the principles of the ‘3Rs' – reduction, refinement and replacement. The University of Exeter endorse the ARRIVE guidelines.
We are also signatory to the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK.
All research projects involving any animal are reviewed by Research Ethics Committees and when research is regulated under ASPA it is reviewed by our Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Board (AWERB), whose members include experts in animal welfare.
Every researcher at the University of Exeter working with animals is required to meet the highest ethical and methodological standards and to adhere to the strict legislation in place in the UK to safeguard animal welfare.
These dedicated web pages provide helpful information about research involving animals, both in general terms and at the University.
The official University of Exeter policy on the involvement of animals in research can be found here Policy on Working with Animals
The laws on research involving the use of animals are set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, or ASPA, which was most recently updated in 2012.
Animal research in the UK is strictly regulated, and compliance with regulations is monitored by Home Office inspections and audits.
All projects involving animals, the researchers carrying it out, and the institution itself, must each by licensed by the Home Office. The Home Office enforces the law, including regulations on housing, environment, welfare, care, and health.
Permission to work with animals is granted by the Home Office by licence only under very specific conditions. The Home Office also has an inspection system to ensure that rules are not violated
Researchers must meet compulsory training standards before they are allowed to carry out research on animals. It is illegal to use an animal in an experiment if there is a suitable alternative.
All Project licence proposals are reviewed by Exeter’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Board (AWERB) legal body. AWERB is a local framework acting to ensure that all use of animals in the establishment is carefully considered and justified; that proper account is taken of all possibilities for reduction, refinement and replacement (the 3Rs); and that high standards of accommodation and care are achieved.
Named Persons at the University have an important legally appointed role and are responsible for animal welfare under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). All project and personal licence holders and other staff dealing with animals should seek and follow their advice. Named Persons work with researchers to refine their experiments at the application stage, minimising the number of animals used, replacing them where possible and refining experiments to minimise any potential suffering.
You can also view the Home Office information about the regulations governing research using animals.
Please go to our ‘frequently asked questions’ for more information on how many animals were used in research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and also our Animal Welfare and Ethical review Board (AWERB) minutes are publicly available
The University of Exeter is committed to high standards of animal welfare, and we continue to invest in our facilities.
Where research requires animals to be held at the University under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (ASPA), we house them in environments that exceed the expected requirements, ensuring that they have opportunities to exhibit natural behaviours. This always ensures we are looking after their psychological well-being, outstanding welfare and optimal health. All animals housed are provided with enriched and novel environments, to ensure animals have the best life possible in our care.
The University has well-defined work programmes to ensure that these requirements are met (and normally exceeded), and relevant laws and guidelines are strictly adhered to. Our overriding considerations are that:
- Research on animals is conducted only when it will contribute to the advancement of knowledge that is likely to lead to the following gains:
- Improvement in the health and welfare of animals and humans
- Environmental impacts and knowledge
- Conservation and understanding of species
- The University conducts studies involving animals on the basis of well-defined and ethically just scientific objectives. Always giving due consideration to the welfare of the animals and minimising the number of animals employed in each study. No animals are used under study where there is a suitable alternative.
- All animals obtained by the University for research purposes under ASPA are subject to inspection and approval by a NACWO. Animals that are regulated under the ASPA are transported, housed and cared for by dedicated and trained staff under supervision of highly experienced NACWOs and the oversight of Named Veterinary Surgeons (NVS).
The NVS and NACWOS are available at all times (24h a day) for consultation, care and attendance of the animals.
All animals, under the NACWOs teams are checked frequently by experienced animal technicians, who are specialists in the care and welfare of animals.
Animal research which does not involve procedures regulated by ASPA (for example, observational field studies on wild animals or studies involving non-protected species of invertebrates), are conducted within relevant legislative requirements. Governance structures are in place to ensure that appropriate standards are met and review by Research Ethics Committees and NACWOs (where relevant) will assess the 3Rs and welfare of the animals and can include additional AWERB review if required.
The University of Exeter promotes the principles of the 3Rs – reduction, refinement and replacement of animals.
The University is committed to ensuring all those involved in animal-based research (scientists, Named Persons and animal technicians) are pro-active in pursuing the replacement, reduction and refinement of animal use (the 3Rs), engaging fully in the ethical review processes, and to fulfil their moral and legal responsibilities for the care and welfare of animals.
We regularly promote the work of NC3Rs through all our processes and ensure that researchers are aware of the importance of 3Rs through regular dissemination of information, close links with the NC3Rs and 3Rs events (webinars, conferences, training sessions).
Replacement
We are committed to ensuring animals are used only when there is no alternative by:
- Requiring applicants for project licences (licences issued by the Home Office authorising the use of animals in a programme of research) to demonstrate that they have given full consideration to non-animal methods and have consulted the information on alternatives available.
- Promoting awareness of non-animal methods through dissemination and signposting to internal/external information, webinars and advice on searching for alternatives to using animals.
- Engaging with outside experts on the replacement of animals in scientific research, to exchange views and explore new ideas.
- When full replacement cannot be used, using partial replacement specifically aiming to replace traditional animal models with the use of some animals that, based on current scientific thinking, are considered less sentient, for example
- Using fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), nematode worms, or social amoebae, and Galleria moth larvae, all which are invertebrate
- Employing zebrafish (Danio rerio) at early developmental stages
- The University also houses the Animal Free Research Centre of Excellence to explore repurposing of existing drugs for new indications in totally humanised cell culture systems to enable replacement of animals in laboratory health research.
Reduction
We are committed to ensuring that researchers use the minimum number of animals needed to meet their scientific objectives by:
- Reviewing regularly the numbers of animals used under individual project licences and asking for reductions, where appropriate.
- Ensuring animal studies are well planned, statistically, using our expert Biostatistician AWERB member who provides researchers with professional statistical advice on the design and analysis of their experiments. The Biostatistician is involved at an early stage of their Home Office project licence application stage. In addition researchers use tools such as the NC3Rs EDA and the ARRIVE and PREPARE
- Managing breeding programmes carefully, so as to avoid or minimise surplus animals in line with our AWERB breeding policy.
Refinement
We are committed to achieving the highest possible standards of animal care and welfare and to ensuring that all those involved in the use of animals practise a culture of care by:
- Requiring researchers to apply the most refined methods in their work at all times and to keep pace with new developments.
- Providing the best possible standards of care and accommodation that, wherever possible, exceed the standards prescribed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
- Promoting awareness of best practice through education and training.
Under ASPA, NACWOS/ NVS are involved at the start of all studies reviewing study plans and identifying all refinements possible.