CAAT’s Beyond Classical Refinement Program, led by Kathrin Herrmann, PhD, has been awarding two annual grants for Reduction of animal experiments and for humane education. The Reduction Grant is given to a research project that helps reduce animal use by identifying areas of research and testing where animal models lack reproducibility and translational value. The Humane Education Grant is awarded for the development of animal-free training resources for veterinary, medical or laboratory courses. Each grant includes prize money of $6,000 USD.

The proposal should include a detailed description of the planned study and its anticipated outcomes. It should provide sufficient detail so reviewers can understand what is being proposed and how the data will be evaluated and used. The proposal should not exceed ten pages, including any supplemental information (except for the CV). A breakdown of the proposed budget, including additional funding sources that are needed to conduct the study must be included.

Proposal Format Guidelines:

• Title of proposed study
• Name and position of applicant(s), including CV
• Institution name
• Contact information
• Proposal details (see above)

Review Criteria:

• Impact on animal protection
• Innovation of proposal
• Likelihood of obtaining publishable data within the proposed timeframe
• Scope of applicability and impact
• Quality of study design

Acceptance of this award implies that funds for the specific research are not currently available from other sources. It is anticipated that successful applicants will submit a manuscript of their project and its outcome to a professional journal.

The deadline for receipt of submissions is September 30, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST. Applications should be submitted electronically to the Director of the Beyond Classical Refinement Program, Kathrin Herrmann, at kherrma1@jhu.edu.

Applications will be reviewed by an international group of experts. CAAT then will make the final decisions on the proposal(s) to be funded. The applicants will be informed about the review committee’s decision end of October 2024. CAAT reserves the right not to bestow an award.

Valerie Speirs, Professor of Molecular Oncology, University of Aberdeen, is the winner of CAAT’s 2023 Reduction Grant. Her proposal “Alternatives to animals in cancer research: what, how and why not – a systematic review” has the overarching goal to reduce the numbers of animals used in breast cancer research using an evidence-based approach to change the mindset of scientists. This will be achieved through two aims. The principal aim is to conduct a systematic review to identify animal replacement models in breast cancer research and assess their reproducibility and translational value. A secondary aim is to identify any perceived barriers to adoption by the scientific community, which may be highlighted in these papers, and/or become evident in the systematic review. This novel approach will challenge the preconception in science that universal animal research is required for successful high impact publications and high value grants, by evaluating the promise and raising the awareness of robust animal free alternative approaches to the research community. It will also identify new avenues of research that can be exploited in future breast cancer research projects.

Nick Jukes, the Coordinator of InterNICHE (International Network for Humane Education) won CAAT’s 2023 Humane Education Grant for his project proposal “Alternatives in education: A comprehensive information resource” which relates to the production of a comprehensive information resource to support transformational change in veterinary, medical and biology education worldwide. It focuses on a multi-language set of printed and online materials that detail the range of alternative methods by discipline for each faculty, and how these humane innovations can fully replace harmful animal use and enhance knowledge and skills acquisition in higher education. Such methods are increasingly becoming the norm, but there is still much change to achieve. The online materials will use and be integrated with existing and forthcoming resources such as the InterNICHE Alternatives and Studies databases, the video resource database featuring the clips taken from the InterNICHE veterinary film series, and the films themselves. The materials are to be targeted at teachers, students, campaigners, and trainers internationally, as well as the interested public. They will inform all users with the latest concepts, definitions, arguments, and examples in the field, including such methods’ pedagogical, ethical, social, and economic advantages. And it will empower those who work for change with a comprehensive and powerful new resource for reference and for distribution. Such a set of resources has not been produced in this way to date.