100 institutions now involved in networking and public dialogue / Broad spectrum ranging from research institutions to hospitals and scholarly societies

100 institutions now involved in networking and public dialogue / Broad spectrum ranging from research institutions to hospitals and scholarly societies

Launched jointly by the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany information platform Tierversuche verstehen (“Understanding animal experiments”) and the Permanent Senate Commission on Animal Protection and Experimentation of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), the Transparent Animal Experiments Initiative is able to arrive at a positive interim assessment two years after it was set up. Originally launched on 1 July 2021 with the involvement of 54 institutions, the initiative has now seen its hundredth institution voluntarily commit to promoting transparent information and open communication about animal experiments in research, just in time to mark this anniversary, namely Research Center Borstel – Leibniz Lung Center. The 100 signatory institutions include 32 non-university research institutions, ten scholarly societies or networks, seven research-based companies, one foundation, 29 universities, 17 university hospitals and four zoos where animal experiments are carried out that require authorisation.

“We’re delighted to see more and more institutions making a voluntary commitment to transparent information and open communication about animal experiments. Our objective must be to inspire all actors involved in animal experiments in Germany to support the Transparent Animal Experiments Initiative. In this way, research can make an important contribution to getting the topic of animal experiments out of the taboo zone and contribute to a broad social discourse,” said the Chair of the DFG Senate Commission on Animal Protection and Experimentation, Professor Dr. Brigitte Vollmar.

Professor Dr. Thomas Sommer, former Scientific Director (interim) of the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin, which was one of the first signatories of the initiative, adds: “Science communication about animal experiments is becoming increasingly relevant. This is why we as an institute opted without hesitation to support this important initiative right from the outset.”

Transparent information about research work, open exchange and a willingness for dialogue about the choice of research methods and ethical responsibility, are especially important in a subject area that is discussed as controversially as animal research. For this reason, the Transparent Animal Experiments Initiative initiative appeals to academic institutions and research-based industry to live up to their responsibility to provide transparent information about research involving animal experiments and intensify efforts to communicate proactively and openly on this topic. At the same time, the initiative seeks to encourage and invite the public at large to take advantage of the information offered by the participating institutions.

In the two years of its existence, the initiative has created greater transparency in a range of fields: for example, many of the signatories’ websites now contain specific information on animal experiments that was previously inaccessible or difficult to find. At best-practice workshops, representatives of the institutions have shared ideas on how the objectives of the initiative can best be implemented and how communication among signatories can be improved. In addition, current topics relating to animal experiments are discussed in regular online discussion groups. The information initiative Tierversuche verstehen (“Understanding animal experiments”) awards a seal of quality to instances of particularly exemplary communication of research involving animal experiments so as to raise the visibility of these activities.

Further information

Visit the website of the Transparent Animal Experiments Initiative:

• www.initiative-transparente-tierversuche.de

Media contact:

• DFG Press and Public Relations
  Tel. +49 228 885-2109
  presse@dfg.de

Expert contact at the secretariat of the DFG Senate Commission on Animal Protection and Experimentation:

• Dr. Valeska Stephan
  Rostock University Medical Center
  Tel. +49 381 494-2565
  valeska.stephan@med.uni-rostock.de

Programme contact at the DFG Head Office:

• Dr. Christoph Limbach
  Neurosciences Group 1
  Tel. +49 228 885-2865
  christoph.limbach@dfg.de

Find out about the DFG Senate Commission on Animal Protection and Experimentation and its activities:

• www.dfg.de/sktf/en

To the information platform Tierversuche verstehen (“Understanding animal experiments”) run by the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany:

• www.tierversuche-verstehen.de