The fourth edition of Be Open About Animal Research Day (#BOARD24) took place on 3 May, during the Understanding Animal Research Openness in Animal Research conference, at the University of Warwick. Institutions, researchers and lab staff across the world supported the campaign, including sharing case studies that highlighted the importance of being open and transparent to the general public about the use of animals in research.
Here are a list of the case studies that were published on social media by institutions during the day:
Europe | EARA | #BOARD24 workshop at Understanding Animal Research Openness in Animal Research conference  During this workshop on #BOARD24, Gege Li, EARA senior science communications & social media officer, and Inês Serrenho, EARA ambassador for Portugal, shared tips and guidance on how to use social media to communicate about animal research. Workshop attendees then had the chance to produce their own statements for #BOARD24 (see below), which were shared on the day of the campaign.     |
Europe | European Brain Council | Pledge for Science: Brain Research & Innovation in the EU |
Europe | European Brain Council | No Health Without Brain Health |
Belgium | University of Antwerp | Virtual lecture: Dignity in Animal Experimentation This lecture provided an overview of the legal framework of animal research in the EU and reflected on the way in which moral theories are reflected therein.  |
Belgium | Belgian Transparency Agreement | The progress of the TA at the Understanding Animal Research openness conference, with EARA ambassador Elisabeth Herrero. Elisabeth, of Sanofi Belgium, presented the latest developments of the TA in Belgium, including approaches to motivate new signatories to be more open.  |
Belgium | Belgian Transparency Agreement | The formation of the TA in Belgium |
Belgium | KU Leuven | Podcast episode of 'Pioneers of Science', on the history, science & ethics of the mouse as a lab animal |
Belgium | University of Mons | Updated webpage on animal welfare, animal ethics & training |
Belgium | Orsi Academy | Animal welfare included in Belgian Constitution  |
Belgium | VIB | René Custers statement on the need for animal research  |
Canada | Trent University | Event: What is good enrichment for animals in captivity?  |
France | University of Caen Normandie | A board game based on Trivial Pursuit to address public misconceptions about animal research This board game, created for the public by the Normandy Ethics Committee on Animal Research (CENOMEXA), addresses diverse categories of questions about animal research, including regulation, experimental procedures and common beliefs.  |
France | Charles River Laboratories | Internal events: How to talk about your job in animal research workshop; webinar on compassion fatigue |
Finland | University of Helsinki | Why researchers do preclinical research |
Denmark | Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs | Minipigs in biomedical research  |
Germany | 3R-Competence Network North Rhine-Westphalia | 3Rs programme for high school students  |
Germany | Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin | Reviving weakened hearts – pig study |
Germany | Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin | 2023 animal use statistics |
Germany | Ilot-Projects GmbH | iMouse tool to improve the study of animal behaviour |
Germany | Max Delbrück Center | Thread: Research findings that would not be possible without animals |
Germany | Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology | Animal research for infectious diseases |
Germany | Tierversuche verstehen | 'Compass on animal experiments' brochure for animal use statistics in Germany  |
Germany | University Hospital Jena | 2023 animal use statistics |
Germany | University Hospital Jena | Statement on transparency & responsibility animal research on for the World Day of Laboratory Animals  |
Italy | Research4Life | Feature: The language used to communicate animal research  |
Netherlands | Donders Institute | Article: Visit to the Donders animal facility |
Netherlands | Dutch Transparency Agreement | 2023 annual report |
Netherlands | Dutch Transparency Agreement | The progress of the TA at the Understanding Animal Research openness conference, with EARA ambassador Monique Havermans. Monique, of the University of Freiburg, Germany, discussed the challenges of being open about animal research in the Netherlands and recent developments that threaten the application of the 3Rs, particularly reduction and refinement.  |
Netherlands | Wageningen University & Research | Yearly update on animal research  |
Portugal | Andreia Pinho | Article: Why researchers should explain the misconceptions of animal research |
Portugal | University of Beira Interior | Why do we work with laboratory animals in biomedical research?       |
Portugal | Champalimaud Foundation | Staff testimonials about the need for animal research & speaking openly  |
Portugal | i3S Porto | Pain assessment in laboratory animals  |
Portugal | Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência | The role of veterinarians at IGC |
Portugal | University of Lisbon | Understanding the adjustment of wild animals to laboratory conditions |
Portugal | Portuguese Transparency Agreement | The progress of the TA at the Understanding Animal Research openness conference, with EARA Board chair Ana Isabel Santos. Ana, of NOVA Medical School, Portugal, spoke about how the TA in Portugal was set up and the progress made since its launch in 2018.  |
Portugal | Science Wave | The journey to starting an animal research project |
Spain | Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) | Thread: PRBB articles on animal research |
Spain | Science and Applied Biomedical Experimental Research (CREBA) | Virtual tour of CREBA facilities  |
Spain | Spanish Transparency Agreement | The progress of the TA at the Understanding Animal Research openness conference, with EARA Board member Javier Gullien. Javier, of AAALAC International, gave examples of the strides towards openness taken by signatories of the TA in Spain through publishing animal research content on their institutional websites.  |
Switzerland | EPFL | 2022 animal use statistics  |
Switzerland | University of Zurich | Improving drug delivery for mice – study |
Switzerland | University of Zurich | Information booth at Swiss Science & Nature Festival (upcoming) |
UK | The Babraham Institute | The need for animal research – webpage |
UK | Datesand | Animal welfare & the 3Rs |
UK | The Institute of Cancer Research | Thread: Animals in cancer research |
UK | The Learning Curve Development | Engaging & educating about animal research  |
UK | Understanding Animal Research | How Concordat signatories are being more open about animal research |
UK | University of Manchester | Manchester animal research debate – sound clips |
UK | Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell | Light conditions standardisation for animal welfare |
USA | Allentown, LLC | Celebrating #BOARD24  |
USA | Biomedical Research Awareness Day | What happened for BRAD 2024 |
