The TPI partner programme is delighted to announce that NWO has joined as a partner. With the addition of NWO, TPI welcomes an important Dutch science funder, which funds research across the full spectrum of science. This offers additional opportunities to implement research using animal-free models into practice more quickly in other (interdisciplinary) fields as well.
NWO (Dutch Research Council) has officially become a partner of the Transition Programme towards animal-free Innovation run by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN). This is a significant step that corresponds well with NWO’s ambition to further stimulate the transition towards animal-free research. NWO promotes and innovates world-class scientific research that has scientific and societal impact. This aligns very well with the mission and ambitions of the Transition to Animal-Free Innovation programme.
Successful transition through multidisciplinary collaboration
NWO’s involvement in the TPI partner programme strengthens collaboration between the Netherlands’ leading research funding bodies to accelerate the transition to animal-free research. The Collaborating Health Funds (SGF) and ZonMw, both TPI partners, develop programmes in the fields of health and biomedical research. With NWO, a funder of research across the full spectrum of science, collaboration is also possible for the funding of applied, technical and social sciences research that contributes to less animal testing. Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential for a successful transition and innovation towards more humane research.
Animal-wise Policy
Together with ZonMw, also a TPI partner, NWO aims to reduce the use of laboratory animals via a lab animal-wise policy. At the same time, laboratory animals cannot always be replaced (yet) and animal testing sometimes remains necessary to properly answer a research question. Maintaining the high quality and reliability of scientific research and finding ways to reduce the use of laboratory animals should therefore go hand in hand, in collaboration with the scientific community. As a research funder, NWO has developed a number of research programmes aimed at replacing animal testing and promoting the acceptance and implementation of animal-free models, such as Human Measurement Models 2.0: for health research on diseases and prevention and Animal-free assessment models: acceptance and implementation.
Accelerating the transition together
Marjolein Robijn, head of the Earth Sciences, Life Sciences and Astronomy team (Domain Sciences), will represent NWO on the TPI Core Group. Menno Grouls, programme and policy officer in the Technology for People and Health department (Domain Applied and Technical Sciences), will join the Transition Group. This collaboration within TPI offers NWO and its partners access to other relevant networks and stakeholders committed to a future in which animal-free methods form part of much human-relevant research. TPI looks forward to accelerating the transition together with NWO and the other 12 partners!