A proposed framework for holding intensive 3Rs workshops in laboratory animal science

Abstract

Principles of 3Rs are the backbone of today’s animal research. Applying 3Rs in practice requires proper education and training. Although this could be achieved via long-term courses ranging from several weeks to years, in some circumstances a short-term course may be the only viable option. In this paper we define scientific and ethical objectives for running short-term 3Rs workshops. To meet these objectives, we propose a 2-day workshop curriculum and an ethical framework. The curriculum comprises theoretical and practical sessions and covers Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement strategies. The ethical framework defines the responsibilities of lecturers and attendees, and proposes the animals and facilities requirements to run the proposed workshop curriculum. The attendees will be assessed at the end of the workshop and they receive certificates for working under supervision until they are deemed competent at their intended functions. The proposed curriculum and framework are not subscriptive, instead they share the experience gained through running more than 60 laboratory animal 3Rs workshops.