Policy driven changes in animal research practices: mapping researchers’ attitudes towards animal-free innovations using the Netherlands as an example

Abstract

Background Reducing the number of animals used in experiments has become a priority for the governments of many countries. For these reductions to occur, animal-free alternatives must be made more available and, crucially, must be embraced by researchers. Methods We conducted an international online survey for academics in the field of animal science ( N = 367) to explore researchers’ attitudes towards the implementation of animal-free innovations. Through this survey, we address three key questions. The first question is whether scientists who use animals in their research consider governmental goals for animal-free innovations achievable and whether they would support such goals. Secondly, responders were asked to rank the importance of ten roadblocks that could hamper the implementation of animal-free innovations. Finally, responders were asked whether they would migrate (either themselves or their research) if increased animal research regulations in their country of residence restricted their research. Results While nearly half (40%) of the responders support governmental goals, the majority (71%) of researchers did not consider such goals achievable in their field within the near future. In terms of roadblocks for implementation of animal-free methods, ~ 80% of the responders considered ‘reliability’ as important, making it the most highly ranked roadblock. However, all other roadblocks were reported by most responders as somewhat important, suggesting that they must also be considered when addressing animal-free innovations. Importantly, a majority reported that they would consider migration to another country in response to a restrictive animal research policy. Thus, governments must consider the risk of researchers migrating to other institutes, states or countries, leading to a ‘brain-drain’ if policies are too strict or suitable animal-free alternatives are not available. Conclusion Our findings suggest that development and implementation of animal-free innovations are hampered by multiple factors. We outline three pillars concerning education, governmental influence and data sharing, the implementation of which may help to overcome these roadblocks to animal-free innovations. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s41073-019-0067-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Perceptions of 3R implementation in European animal research: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis of barriers and facilitators

“…For instance, setting specific objectives both in terms of time and implementation level, e.g. as done by the Dutch "2025-goal" [16], may help to better engage communication between the government, researchers and the public, and to smooth active implementation of the 3Rs. In this regard, consolidating the existing legal apparatus by reinforcing the role of organizational and institutional culture should be prioritized, as some authors suggest that they are more influential than legal demands in achieving 3R improvements [36].…”

“…"The extensive focus on the welfare of laboratory animals will hinder scientific breakthroughs" (07; 15; 78) Van Luijk 2013[23] "Application of the 3Rs slows down innovation" (00; 20; 80) Q24: 3R implementation can have a bad impact on the career Bressers 2019[16] "Would you consider migrating due to stricter governmental legislation"(46; 23; 31) Q25: 3R implementation leads to non-comparable dataBressers 2019[16] "Reliability is a roadblock for implementation and development of alternatives" (89; 05; 06)Edwards 2015[17] "Difficulty in predicting activity in isolated tissue compared to the complex integrated in vivo situation is a barrier to the use of human tissue" (25; 00; 75)…”

Phase-In to Phase-Out—Targeted, Inclusive Strategies Are Needed to Enable Full Replacement of Animal Use in the European Union

“…Additionally, the choice of animal model has been shown to depend on the historical use of animals rather than the most valid scientific approach [ 11 ]. Perhaps it is not surprising that a survey of animal researchers revealed their perception of several roadblocks hampering the development and implementation of animal-free tools [ 12 ], and this may be (partly) associated with a lack of formal education in, and exposure to, the innovative, non-animal approaches, as we discuss later. Thus, we suggest that all of these factors, and probably more, are underpinning the continued use of animals.…”

Challenging Future Generations: A Qualitative Study of Students’ Attitudes toward the Transition to Animal-Free Innovations in Education and Research

“…Recent research [15,16] has mapped current barriers to the implementation of animalfree methods, delivering a complex landscape of governmental, regulatory, and societal roadblocks that need to be addressed to facilitate the transition. Inadequate funding for non-animal research, lack of data sharing among research institutions, and outdated regulatory requirements are often identified as important constraints.…”