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Submit your 2025 CRACK IT Challenge ideas


21 November 2024

We are inviting new Challenge ideas for the 2025 CRACK IT competition. This is a unique opportunity to drive the development of innovative tools and technologies that tackle scientific challenges your organisation is facing and replaces, reduces or refines the use of animals in research and testing. 

Do you have an idea to improve R&D and refine or reduce your reliance on in vivo studies? We want to hear from you. 

The call is open to industry, academia and the charitable sector. If your idea is successful you will collaborate with the NC3Rs to develop the Challenge as a Sponsor, defining the aims and deliverables before the Challenge is presented to the scientific community to be solved as a funding competition. Sponsors support the success of the Challenge by collaborating with the awardees and providing in kind contributions (e.g. expertise, compounds, data or in-house testing) and end-user input. By being involved from the outset, you can shape the development of new technologies, ensuring they are fit for purpose and deliver 3Rs benefits for your organisation and the wider scientific community.  

CRACK IT has invested £36.7M in 49 Challenges, working with 55 Sponsors and Partners to develop 3Rs technologies that address an unmet need. Our portfolio of 3Rs products developed to solve previous Challenges include tasteless tamoxifen to refine transgenic mouse studies and an in vitro retinal model for better prediction of in vivo outcomes

If you have a scientific or research need that you think a CRACK IT Challenge could solve, you can read more about how to submit your idea, the process and the role of a Sponsor on our Sponsor a Challenge page or get in touch with the CRACK IT team to ask questions and explore your early ideas: crackitenquiries@nc3rs.org.uk.  

Deadline for new Challenge submissions: Monday 10 February 2025.