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International 3Rs Prize now open for applications. £30k prize (£2k personal award) for outstanding science with demonstrable 3Rs impacts.

NC3Rs | 20 Years: Pioneering Better Science
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Funding boost for post-graduate training across the UK to minimise and improve animal research

A rack of colourful test tubes

The ten PhD studentships will each receive £90,000 over a three-year period.  The projects range from developing a model of ovarian cancer in a small silicone device, to seeking insights into the underlying biology of aging using roundworms.

Two of the projects funded will focus on improving welfare and minimising the suffering of rodents used in stroke research. Dr Claire Gibson, from the University of Leicester, will supervise a project aimed at improving well-being by providing enrichment, improving understanding of the humane use of non-invasive monitoring and assessing whether a surgical intervention can reduce mortality and morbidity in experimental stroke rodents. A project supervised by Dr Rebecca Trueman at the University of Nottingham will also assess and promote the use of a milder model of stroke. Since stroke is a major research area, the findings of these studies could have significant impact on a large number of animals.

Dr Vicky Robinson, Chief Executive of the NC3Rs said: "We are committed to supporting scientists at the start of their careers as it is vital to embed the 3Rs principles at this early stage. These young scientists are the people who will take the 3Rs approach into the future. The PhD projects that we have funded in the past have explored some really exciting areas of science and the findings are already having a real impact on the use of animals in research.”

Studentships vacancies arising from our 2014 awards will be advertised by the relevant research institutions and on our website in early 2015. 

Information on the PhD Studentships awarded (each receiving £90k over three years):