At Replacing Animal Research, we know that the transition to a world without animal research won’t happen overnight. It requires a fundamental shift in how we approach science. While much of our work focuses on policy and high-level advocacy, some of our most vital work happens in a much more grassroots education.

Why Focus on University Education?

As a small charity, we have to be strategic and focus on areas where we can provide the most value for money and create the deepest long-term impact. Universities are teaching the “scientists of the future.” By the time a researcher is mid-career, they will have chosen a research path, and their confidence and knowledge may lie in particular research models or methods.

However, students, by contrast, are still forming their ethical frameworks and developing technical skills. Their career lies ahead. To make informed choices around animal use, they must be aware of the failings and the opportunities within replacement science and have enough knowledge to challenge when it is right to do so.

If you have not seen Test Subjects this short film demonstrates this need powerfully.

If we can equip students with the skills, knowledge, and motivation to prioritise non-animal methods now, we aren’t just changing one experiment—we are changing a lifetime of scientific practice. For those students in the room who don’t pursue a career in science, we are upskilling them as voters and consumers and giving them information that may inform a career in education, ethics or policy.

Unlike the rigid national school curriculum, universities design their own degree courses. This presents a unique challenge and a massive opportunity.

Because each university is independent, we can work to influence course content individually. Our goal is to ensure that every bioscience, medical, and pharmacology student graduates knows that animal replacement isn’t just a “nice to have”—it is a legal and ethical requirement, and it can be done better. We also engage with students in other ways, such as talks for student societies or attending open days.

Putting Theory into Practice

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of delivering a presentation to a group from the Bioethics and Medical Law Society and the Pharmacology Society at a UK-based University that conducts regulated animal research. There were over 30 students in the room, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them.

It struck me that for the majority of these students, the information I shared was entirely new and had not been considered before.

The law sets the regulatory frameworks future researchers will work within – so that is the initial hook for the talk. The audience was keen to learn about the role of the law designed to protect (some) animals used in research and testing, how this was designed, whether it is fit for purpose today and how it could be improved. I talked about the importance of transparency around animal use to inform our knowledge of where replacements are needed and presented evidence to show that replacement is not happening as it should every time. Finally, I talked about the steps we are taking as an organisation to change this, including examples of cutting-edge, human-relevant, non-animal technologies.

The Message: Better Science is Possible

We want students to enter bioscience research knowing that if they find themselves in a sphere of science where animals are still used, they have the agency to change it. We want them to know that there is funding, support, and a growing global community dedicated to non-animal research and that Replacing Animal Research is there to help.

Ultimately, we aren’t just asking them to do the ‘right’ thing; we are asking them to choose the better thing and giving them the knowledge and tools to do so. Non-animal methods represent the frontier of modern science, and we want these students to be the ones leading the charge.

Can we do the same for your society?

We are looking to connect with more student groups across the UK. If you are part of a Science, Law, or Ethics society and want to learn more about the legal requirements and advances being made to replace animal research, we want to hear from you.

Get in touch today, hello@replacinganimalresearch.org.uk