This project has been archived.

3Rs Benchmarking Working Group

Mission and Objectives

The mission of the 3Rs Benchmarking WG is to gather information from our member companies about key 3Rs topics and activities in order to establish the depth, breadth and range of our 3Rs initiatives.  This group also seeks to encourage a more strategic and harmonized approach to adopting and promoting the 3Rs across our member companies, and to establish our leadership in 3Rs throughout the industry.

The 3Rs Benchmarking WG will initially use a survey to gather 3Rs information from our member companies. The WG will then summarize the survey findings to share with the 3Rs LG and consider the available avenues for sharing this information with the broader biomedical research community.

One of the primary activities for the WG is to highlight as progress any areas within the 3Rs where our member companies are consistent in their practices and behaviors . Another activity of this WG will be to assist in the identification of areas in our practices of great disparity, with the goal that a more consistent adoption of  3Rs practice can then be applied. For example, if the majority of member companies have adopted a certain practice, we may consider developing a position that incorporates why this practice has consistently led to fewer animal welfare concerns as compared to other techniques. Others in the industry could then utilize these positions to move their own programs towards adopting the practice that is considered to be an advancement of the 3Rs.

Another activity of this WG is to attempt to identify any gaps in welfare science that could lead to future 3Rs research proposals. Without scientific data to show benefits of one technique versus another, it will be difficult to move 3Rs initiatives forward.

Deliverables

3Rs Benchmarking Survey: Strengths, Opportunities and Next Steps (2012)
2012 IQ Symposium Poster: 3Rs LG Benchmarking Survey Results (2012)
IQ 3Rs Leadership Group Benchmarking Survey Results FELASA (2013)
IQ 3Rs Leadership Group Benchmarking Presentation for the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) (2013)

 

Updated September 2021