Institute’s Leader in Openness status retained for transparency around animal research

Key points:

• The Institute has been successful in maintaining its Leader in Openness status with regard to open communication about the use of animals in research under the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research.
• The award recognises continued progress in demonstrating good practice after the Institute was first awarded the status in 2019 and successfully renewed this in 2022.
• Initiatives developed between 2022-2025 include launching a self-led virtual tour of the Institute’s animal facility, publishing lay summaries of current animal research projects and relaunching an internal forum for communicating and discussing animal research.

After first achieving the status in 2019, the Institute is delighted to have its Leader in Openness status re-awarded for 2025-2028. The Leader in Openness status was established in 2019 to recognise signatories to the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research who continually go beyond complying with the Concordat to lead the sector in meeting best-practice recommendations. It is awarded to organisations who actively share how and why animals are used in research and who support a culture of openness within the wider research community. The Institute is a founding signatory of the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research which was launched in 2014.

Hannah Hobson, Head of Communications and Engagement at Understanding Animal Research, said: “The Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK was established to provide clear guidance for organisations using animals in scientific research, helping them communicate openly about their work and the reasons behind it.

“The Leader in Openness status recognises institutions that consistently meet the highest standards for openness and transparency in their animal research communications and reflects the energy, thoughtfulness, and courage they show in making information about animal research accessible and understandable to the public on a subject that is often complex and misunderstood.”

Dr Louisa Wood, Head of Communications at the Institute, commented: “We are delighted to be recognised as a continuing Leader in Openness. Through the dedication of our teams and the efforts of passionate individuals, our approach to openness continues to grow. We’re proud of the initiatives we have implemented over the last three years which demonstrate our lasting commitment to transparently communicating about how and why mice are used in the Institute’s life sciences research.”

The Institute needs to reapply every three years to retain the status and demonstrate how we continue extend our work in communicating about the use of mice in the Institute’s research and presenting clear and transparent information.

The focus of our application was demonstrating the progress made since the last award in 2022. In this time, the Institute has:

• made lay descriptions (called Non-Technical Summaries) of all active research projects using animals available on its website.
• led an Instagram takeover in partnership with Understanding Animal Research to showcase the Institute’s animal facility, animal welfare and the skills of our technicians.
• published videos showing key aspects of technician-led animal care.
• launched a self-led 360 virtual tour of the animal facility.
• relaunched an internal seminar series to engage Institute staff and also people working on the Babraham Research Campus with animal research, the 3Rs, animal welfare and ethical review.

A core component of our openness activities includes engagement with school students, teachers and public audiences. In the 2022-2025 period our public engagement activities reached nearly 3,500 people to discuss animal research.

In addition to the Institute, nice other research organisations were recognised as outstanding across the areas considered in the criteria for the Leadership status, joining AstraZeneca, the University of Bristol and the University of Edinburgh as existing holders of the status:

• Agenda Life Sciences
• The Francis Crick Institute
• Imperial College London
• Newcastle University
• The Pirbright Institute
• Royal Veterinary College
• University of Bath
• University of Cambridge
• University of Manchester

Read the announcement from Understanding Animal Research: UAR is delighted to announce ten new Leaders in Openness

Notes:

Enquiries: Dr Louisa Wood, Head of Communications, louisa.wood@babraham.ac.uk

Image description: An animal technician holds a mouse in gloved hands.