Peer review and advice service

We work with research funding bodies to embed the 3Rs in their policies and practice. This includes reviewing research proposals and developing guidelines. These activities help to ensure that animal welfare standards are genuinely high and exceed the legal minima, and overseas work is conducted to standards equivalent to those in the UK.

We review grant applications for 28 funding organisations, including UKRI Research Councils and members of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC), where these propose to use the following species:

• Non-human primates
• Dogs
• Cats
• Equines 
• Pigs (BBSRC and a minority of other funders only).

Other research proposals that raise special concerns can also be referred to the NC3Rs on a case-by-case basis. 

We advise on opportunities to implement the 3Rs, raise specific animal welfare concerns, highlight where good practice is not being adopted, and monitor implementation of specific policies and guidance. This advice is used during decisions on funding and when drafting the terms and conditions of grant awards.

Working with a broad range of stakeholders including funding bodies we have published guidelines to promote high standards in the conduct, design, analysis and reporting of animal research. 

These guidelines are endorsed by UK funders and embedded into their policies on the use of animals. Compliance with the principles in each of the following guidelines is an expectation of funders:

• Responsibility in the Use of Animals in Bioscience Research
• Non-Human Primate Accommodation, Care and Use
• ARRIVE guidelines

UK funders expect high standards in animal research regardless of geographical location. The following resources have been created to support applicants when conducting or placing animal work outside of the UK:

• Checklists for the use of animals overseas
• Minimum space allocations for housing laboratory animals: Comparison of UK, EU and USA guidance
• Choosing contractors for animal research outside of the UK

Checklists for the use of animals overseas

For studies involving species that fall outside of the remit of the NC3Rs peer review service, applicants are recommended to complete the relevant checklist and include it in their application.

Minimum space allocations for housing laboratory animals: Comparison of UK, EU and USA guidance 

The policy document ‘Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research’ places emphasis on housing research animals in space allocations that exceed minimum space allowances. With more collaborative opportunities for overseas partnerships, researchers need to be aware of the differences in space allocations in order that the funders’ expectations can be met. To help researchers we have compared the minimum space allocations for the UK, EU and USA.

Choosing contractors for animal research outside of the UK

Applicants are responsible for obtaining sufficient information to be confident that contract research organisations (CROs) will implement the 3Rs. This includes meeting or exceeding UK standards of animal welfare and ensuring appropriate experimental design for preclinical studies.

The guidance available to download below is primarily for those contracting work using animals for drug development studies outside of the UK, however the principles also apply to any work conducted overseas as part of a collaboration.