Wellcome Trust signs Concordat on openness on animal research

The Wellcome Trust has signed a concordat on openness on animal research in the UK, joining 72 other organisations across the scientific sector, including universities, charities, commercial companies, research councils, umbrella bodies and learned societies.

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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 use animals in research.
  2. We will enhance our communications with the 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.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said: “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. But like all research, animal experiments should proceed with the consent of society, and that requires openness about how and why 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.”