Year: 2026
Grant: £5,000
Maria Valsjö
Forska utan djurförsök, Sweden
Our foundation’s main goal, in line with EU directive 2010/63/EU, is to ensure animals are only used in research when no scientific alternatives exist. However, phasing out animals in research will take time and it is important to work with all of the 3R principles in parallel, which includes refinement.
Despite refinement and animal welfare being a cornerstone in good research, there is often more talking than action. In Swedish animal facilities, steel tubes are still the number one to use during gavage and more and more experimental facilities move towards a standardization of the environmental enrichment, although different mice (sex, age, strains and individuals) require different types of enrichment for it to be effective.
Unfortunately, refinement often receives lower priority in facility budgets. We aim to educate and demonstrate the benefits of environmental enrichment and the use of less invasive methods, such as soft gavage tubes. In particular, we want to inform animal ethics committees so they can advocate for and require gentler procedures and discuss the available refinement methods with researchers.
The program is designed to educate all six Swedish animal ethics committees, each consisting of approximately 12 members, on the benefits of refinement, less invasive procedures, and individualized environmental enrichment. In addition, the training will be extended to all major animal facilities in Sweden, including over 10 facilities in Stockholm alone, targeting researchers, animal facility staff, and other stakeholders.