Coordinated research into animal-free innovation
Greater coordination and investment in research will help to expedite the transition to animal-free innovation. This is the outcome of an investigation by the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) research funding body and the Netherlands National Committee for the Protection of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes (NCad).
Five tracks
The investigation found five tracks in which more effort is needed:
- education for future researchers;
- the development of cases on how to achieve European recognition for animal-free innovations;
- the exploration of emerging scientific ideas that are still uncertain;
- the further development of new animal-free models;
- roundtable gatherings on recognising and implementing animal-free innovations.
Own pace and funding
These five tracks may all have their own pace and variety of funding sources. Support has been offered by potential networks and existing programmes, such as the ZonMw’s More Knowledge with Fewer Animals programme. In the Knowledge Agenda of autumn 2022, ZonMw committed to tackling tracks 1, 3 and 4 itself. For the activities involved in tracks 2 and 5, ZonMw is engaging interested parties.
Read more in the publication (in Dutch) Verkenning: naar de wenselijkheid en haalbaarheid van een Nederlands onderzoeksconsortium ter bevordering van dierproefvrije innovaties (27 January 2021).