NC3Rs launches funding scheme to support public engagement
NC3Rs-funded researchers will now be able to apply for additional funds to support activities which engage the public with their 3Rs research.
Grants of up to £1000 are offered through the Public Engagement Small Awards Scheme, which has been launched today as part of activities to mark the NC3Rs ten-year anniversary. The scheme aims to encourage and support any UK-based researcher who has received funding from the NC3Rs to talk about their work with their public, discussing its impacts on science, society and animals.
Recent research has shown that around 50% of the public want to find out more about research into alternative approaches to using animals in science (Ipsos MORI, 2012). The NC3Rs has committed over £40 million for research and technology development since its launch in 2004, and aims to use the ten-year anniversary as a platform to further communicate the UK's advances in the 3Rs to the wider public.
Dr Mark Prescott, Head of Research Management and Communications, NC3Rs said: "The NC3Rs is now in an environment that is very different to where we started ten years ago. We have seen a shift in the level of scientific engagement in the 3Rs as well as a new agenda of openness around animal research. With a portfolio of science and innovation that spans many scientific disciplines, we are keen to support NC3Rs-funded scientists who wish to discuss their research and its implications with members of the public eager to find out more about progress to replace, reduce and refine animal use in science."
Full details about the scheme can be found at www.nc3rs.org.uk/publicengagementawards