Concordat on Openness on Animal Research signed

Over 70 organisations across the scientific sector have signed the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK. The Concordat aims to help the public understand more about animal research by organisations agreeing to fulfil four commitments:

1. We will be clear about when, how and why we used animals in research
2. We will enhance our communications with media and the public about our research using animals
3. We will be proactive in providing opportunities for the public to find out about research using animals
4. We will report on progress annually and share our experiences.

The Wellcome Trust is one of the 72 signatories, which included universities, charities, commercial companies, research councils, umbrella bodies and learned societies. “Almost all of the most important advances in medicine have relied on information gained from animal experiments, and this field of research remains critical to driving the improvements in human and animal health which our funding seeks to support,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust. “But like all research, animal experiments should proceed with the consent of society, and that requires openness about how they take place. The Wellcome Trust has long been committed to such openness, and we believe that the similar commitment given today by the Concordat’s signatories will help the informed dialogue between researchers and the wider public that is healthy for both science and society.” The Concordat is underpinned by an agreement that communication about animal research should provide accurate descriptions of the benefits, harms and limitations of research, be realistic about the potential outputs of such research and be open about its impact on animal welfare and the ethical considerations involved. Professor Michael Arthur, UCL President & Provost, said: “It is important that we talk about this clearly and openly so that everyone can see what animal research at UCL involves, how it advances our wider research goals and how we are working to reduce, replace and refine our use of animals where possible. “We are committed to a policy of openness at UCL and are delighted to formalise this by signing the Concordat. We are currently developing a number of initiatives to open up animal research at UCL and increase public engagement in this area, all of which align with the Concordat.” The Concordat was initially proposed in 2012 when the Declaration on Openness on Animal Research was launched. It has been developed through a process including public dialogue events and a public draft consultation at the end of 2013. “It is especially pleasing for us that the environment for animal research in the UK has reached a point whereby such a broad range of over 70 stakeholder groups actively involved in animal research, be they leaned societies, pharmaceutical companies, medical research charities, veterinarians or universities, feel able to commit to being more open about animal research,” said Dr Philip Wright, Chief Executive of The Physiological Society. “The launch of the Concordat marks an important step forward towards greater openness and transparency in animal research, something that The Physiological Society has long sought and will continue to support.”