Latest news from the NC3Rs: May 2026

Over 100 members of the public joined us at our Pint of Science events in Newcastle, Bristol and London last week to meet NC3Rs-funded scientists pioneering new approaches to replace animal use in research to study disease and develop medicines. This year’s programme included talks on human tissue in cardiovascular and neuroscience research, a research centre for organoid and organ-on-chip models of gastrointestinal health and a 3D bioprinting technology to generate complex in vitro models of leukaemia, liver cancer, embryology and more, alongside the use of fruit flies as a partial replacement to study lung disease. At each event attendees heard from senior scientists who are building the tools and infrastructure needed to make non-animal methods accessible for more scientists to replace animal use and an early career researcher developing the next generation of alternative models. In our feedback survey most attendees (74%) rated their knowledge of the 3Rs as 1 out of 5 before the event, increasing to an average of 3.7 out of 5 afterwards. Thank you to everyone who came along, our fantastic speakers and the Pint of Science teams!

Making refined mouse handling the UK standard

We are supporting technical staff at Newcastle University to drive the uptake of refined methods for picking up mice at UK institutions. In this blog, technical staff from Newcastle University share their experience delivering training for researchers and animal technicians, including practical tips, peer-to-peer learning and navigating preconceptions and concerns to build confidence in using cup and tunnel handling techniques for mice. Discover how their workshops have helped staff at the University of Leeds to routinely implement cup and tunnel handling and how both institutions have made refined handling their standard approach.

Read the interview with animal technicians about refined mouse handling.

NAMs Technology Partn3Ring webinar series

Next session: Wednesday 3 June, 14.00 – 15.15 (BST)

Our new approach methodologies (NAMs) series showcases technologies to replace animal use in toxicity testing and provides collaboration opportunities for their further method development, qualification and use. Registration is now open for session four – presentations will cover advanced human cell models including high-throughput organoids, in vitro approaches, synthetic hydrogels and alternative toxicity assays.

Recordings and speaker contact details for the first three sessions are available, with topics covered including invertebrate models as partial replacements, microphysiological systems and in vitro models to replace the use of animals in bone, liver, heart and lung assays.

Details of all upcoming NAMs Technology Partn3Ring webinars and previous session recordings.

iRISE/NC3Rs train-the-trainer workshop: Reproducibility and the Experimental Design Assistant

Wednesday 10 June and Wednesday 17 June, 13.00 – 16.00 (BST)

Our Experimental Design Assistant (EDA) can be used as a tool to teach others about key experimental design concepts in an interactive way. We are working with iRISE (improving Reproducibility In SciencE) to deliver an online workshop on how to use, and teach others to use, the EDA to design reproducible animal experiments using the minimum number of animals. Run over two half-day sessions, the workshop is suitable for researchers, animal facility staff, educators and those involved in and/or reviewing experimental design in colleagues’ or students’ work.

Registration closes: Tuesday 9 June.

Find out more and register for the EDA train-the-trainer workshop.

Welfare webinar: Best practice in research animal anaesthesia

Tuesday 16 June and Thursday 25 June, 12.00 – 13.00 (BST)

Exploring anaesthesia, including how practical approaches can be applied in laboratory animals to improve welfare and experimental outcomes. Held across two lunchtime sessions, veterinary anaesthetists from the Research Animal Anaesthesia Network (RAAN) will discuss how anaesthesia plays a critical role in minimising pain, distress and adverse physiological effects and share their expertise on overcoming common challenges, appropriate monitoring and use of injection and inhalation agents.

Find out more and register for our next welfare webinar.

Registration closing: Navigating the NAM pathway

Monday 22 June, 10.00 – 18.00, Central London

This NC3Rs NAMs Network event will explore how to move new approach methodologies (NAMs) from innovation towards industry and regulatory use to replace animals in safety assessment. Bringing together method developers, regulators, industry, CROs and policy stakeholders, the meeting focuses on capability building and progressing NAMs towards industry uptake and regulatory acceptance across sectors. Sessions will cover partnerships and commercialisation, regulatory pathways to acceptance and real-world case studies on the application of data from NAMs for decision-making.

Registration closes: Thursday 4 June.

Find out more and register for the NAMs Network event.

RSPCA survey: Animal technicians and 'Replacement'

The RSPCA are seeking responses from animal technicians in relation to the UK Government strategy for ‘Replacing animals in science’. This includes how the actions contained in the plan are being interpreted, discussed and acted upon alongside what support animal technicians might need, or engagement they would welcome, around the issues it raises. Responses are anonymous and will be used primarily to inform future guidance, training and support for animal technicians developed by the RSPCA. The survey should take 15 minutes to complete.

Take the RSPCA survey.

Applications closing: AAALAC/IQ Consortium 3Rs Award

The Global 3Rs Awards from AAALAC International and the IQ Consortium recognise significant innovative contributions toward the 3Rs, with up to four awards of $10,000 (USD) available in 2026. Award nominations are welcome from academia and industry, in any area of biology, and must be based on a primary research paper published in a peer-reviewed journal in the last three years.

Applications close: Monday 1 June.

Find out more and apply for the AAALAC/IQ Consortium 3Rs Award.

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