Postgraduate Education in Animal Research: Critical, Challenging & Creative Thinking about the 3Rs

The RSPCA is producing a series of educational modules to introduce students to the use of animals in research, research integrity issues that impact upon animal welfare and implementation of the 3Rs, critical thinking, experimental design, alternative approaches, animal welfare and reducing suffering.

The modules are aimed at postgraduate level and will also be suitable as supplements to UK Home Office modular training. They are primarily intended for those who may be involved (now or in the future) in research using animals, animal tissues or using data derived from animal use. They will also enable students who do go on to use animals in research to fully understand the letter and the spirit of UK legislation in this area, to work to progress the 3Rs, increase scientific rigour and reduce the reputational risk of non-compliance to their organisation.

The material will be free to download from the RSPCA website in editable formats to give both student access and enable training staff to deliver the modules themselves. A two-day course was piloted on the Doctoral Skills Development Programme at University College London (UCL), and using positive feedback from the 26 participating students, the material is being expanded and developed further to create a suite of twelve modules more widely applicable to other postgraduate programmes, and other research organisations.

Each of the 12 modules comprises a lecture, an aligned problem-based activity, and a collection of recommend links and references for further engagement. One or more modules within this package can be used to supplement existing course materials, or alternatively, all 12 can be run by the institution in sequence as a complete course.

We are keen to liaise with Higher Education Institutions and research organisations to ensure this material complements available courses and training in order to help achieve the shared aim of maximising the implementation of the 3Rs and increasing the quality of science.