Imperial College London has been awarded Leader in Openness status by Understanding Animal Research for the third time, for 2025-2028.
The university is a signatory member of the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research, meaning that along with 133 other organisations, it has made the following commitments:
- We will be clear about when, how and why we use animals in research.
- We will enhance our communications with the media and the public about our research using animals.
- We will be proactive in providing opportunities for the public to find out about research using animals.
- We will report on progress annually and share our experiences.
Understanding Animal Research (UAR) is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to achieve a broad understanding of the humane use of animals in medical, veterinary, scientific and environmental research in the UK. Imperial was one of the first organisations to be granted the Leader status when UAR launched the scheme in 2019, and Imperial's efforts have been consistently recognised with Leader status in the years since.
Efforts to be open
Imperial uses a range of tools to communicate with different audiences about animal research. Staff and students engage with the public through social media campaigns, including ad-hoc Instagram takeovers highlighting the work of animal technologists and researchers in the field. The Central Biomedical Services team (CBS) also regularly publishes staff member profiles as part of the Imperial People series.
"Animal research forms a small but vital part of Imperial's world-leading biomedical research as we seek new ways to benefit human health." Professor Marina Botto Director of Bioservices
Imperial puts out news stories and features about new discoveries and developments involving animal research on a regular basis. In addition, every two years the university publishes a report covering the latest developments in animal research at Imperial. This includes progress in the '3Rs' – the replacement, reduction and refinement of the use of animals in research.
In 2024, Imperial created a new roadmap supporting Imperial sector-leading care and excellence in animal research, ensuring it remains an exemplar for others. To deliver the plan's key elements and provide resources to those outside Imperial and the internal community, a new Imperial 3Rs Hub website was launched shortly after. This is in addition to a dedicated animal research section on the Imperial website where people can learn about Imperial's work in this area.
The new website supports Imperial's aims to educate future generations about animal research and promote transparency around 3Rs technologies and the future of animal research.
The assessment process
To confirm its Leader in Openness status, Imperial underwent several stages of assessment designed to evaluate whether organisations are committing considerable resources and energy to following best practices, embedding openness within their organisations, and making the aims of the Concordat a reality. The award was made after a thorough assessment by a public panel, a peer review, and a second round of public review.
Professor Marina Botto, Director of Bioservices at Imperial College London, said: "This is well-deserved, sustained recognition for all the continued efforts to promote openness and awareness of animal research and 3Rs developments at Imperial. It's important that we help people understand why we carry out this work and this is why we are committed to openness. Animal research forms a small but vital part of Imperial's world-leading biomedical research as we seek new ways to benefit human health.
"We continue to promote reducing and replacing our use of animals, where possible, and strive to refine and ensure the highest standard of care where using alternatives is not yet possible. Many people have contributed to this award, and it recognises the whole team's creativity and efforts. Well done, everyone."
