This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Learn more about cookies and how to manage them.

AboutCOVID-19Careers in pharmacologyNewsEventsEducation & engagementPartner with UsPublishingMembership & awardsOur CommunityMy BPS

Animal research

Animal research is essential for the development of new medicines and treatments, and the British Pharmacological Society supports the humane use of animals in the development of new medicines. We are a signatory of the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK.

Curriculum for the use of research animals

The curriculum for the use of research animals aims to support the next generation of researchers in gaining the education, skills and understanding of animal welfare needed to carry out these vital studies.

Explore the curriculum

The importance of animal research

Animal research advances our knowledge and understanding of how humans and animals work.

Find out more

Research Animal Sciences Education Scheme (RASES)

See how we are working to support university bioscience educators in delivering high quality, comprehensive education focusing on research animal experimentation.
 

Find out more

Experimental Design eLearning Resources

Check out these free online resource developed by the Society on the topics of good experimental design.

Find out more

An evaluation of the Integrative Pharmacology Fund

An ambitious and forward-thinking evaluation of investment in in vivo research skills – with recommendations for the future of this important area of UK science.

Read the report

Useful animal research organisations and content

Find out more about useful organisations and resources related to animal research.

Find out more

;clickControlParams[onclick_param_l]=onclick_value_l;clickControlParams[onclick_param_v]=onclick_value_v;function setRlsAmount(){cafEl.forEach(function(part,index){if(cafEl[index].meta.layoutTypes.indexOf(dto.contentType)!==-1&&cafEl[index].caf.type==="relatedsearch"){cafEl[index].caf.number=dto.numberRelatedLinks}})}function addClickTrackUrl(cafObject){let params=Object.keys(clickControlParams).map(function(key){return encodeURIComponent(key)+"="+encodeURIComponent(clickControlParams[key])}).join("&");let parkingClickTrack="//"+dto.clickControlHost+"/search/cc.php?"+params;if(dto.clickTrack.length>0){dto.clickTrack.forEach(function(part,index){this[index]=encodeURI(this[index])},dto.clickTrack);cafObject.clicktrackUrl=[parkingClickTrack].concat(dto.clickTrack)}else{cafObject.clicktrackUrl=parkingClickTrack}}pageOptions.pageLoadedCallback=function(requestAccepted,status){let fb_add_params="";function isAdultStatusCallbackRequired(){if(!("adult"in status)){return false}if(ds===false&&status.adult===true){return true}if(ds===true&&status.adult===false){return true}return false}function isErrorCodeCallbackRequired(){if(!("error_code"in status)){return false}if(isAdultStatusCallbackRequired()&&26===status.error_code){return false}return true}if(isAdultStatusCallbackRequired()){fb_add_params+="&as="+status.adult+"&gc="+status.client}if(isErrorCodeCallbackRequired()){fb_add_params+="&ec="+parseInt(status.error_code)}if(fb_add_params.length===0||fb_token.length===0){return}let request=new XMLHttpRequest;request.open("GET",fb+fb_token+fb_add_params,true);request.send()};function collectCafObjects(){let cafObjects=[pageOptions];cafEl.forEach(function(part,index){if(cafEl[index].meta.layoutTypes.indexOf(tlt)===-1){return}if(cafEl[index].caf.type==="ads"){addClickTrackUrl(cafEl[index].caf);cafEl[index].caf.number=noAds}pdto.caf.uiOptimize=dto.uiOptimize;if(cafEl[index].caf.type==="relatedsearch"&&dto.rls.length>0){return}if(cafEl[index].caf.type==="searchbox"&&dsb===false){return}cafObjects.push(cafEl[index].caf)});return cafObjects}function appendCafRls(){if(dto.rls.length<=0){return}let start=0;let cafRlObjects=[pdto.caf];cafEl.forEach(function(part,index){if(cafEl[index].meta.layoutTypes.indexOf(dto.contentType)!==-1&&cafEl[index].caf.type==="relatedsearch"){let stop=start+cafEl[index].caf.number;let terms=[];for(var i=start;idto.rls.length-1){break}terms[i]=dto.rls[i].term;start=i+1}cafEl[index].caf.terms=terms.join(",");cafEl[index].caf.optimizeTerms=false;cafRlObjects.push(cafEl[index].caf)}});createCaf.apply(this,cafRlObjects)}if(typeof google!=="undefined"){window.createCaf=function(){function F(args){return google.ads.domains.Caf.apply(this,args)}F.prototype=google.ads.domains.Caf.prototype;return function(){return new F(arguments)}}();setRlsAmount();if(dto.advt===1&&dto.contentType!==2&&dto.contentType!==3){appendCafRls()}let cafObjects=collectCafObjects();if(cafObjects.length>1){createCaf.apply(this,cafObjects)}}})();if(dto.tsc){var request=new XMLHttpRequest;request.open("GET",dto.pu+"/search/tsc.php?"+dto.tscQs);request.send()}var $parkModalButton=document.getElementById("cookie-modal-open");var $parkModalCloseButton=document.getElementById("cookie-modal-close");var $parkModal=document.getElementById("cookie-modal-window");var $parkCookieMessage=document.getElementById("cookie-message");var $parkThirdPartyCookieCheckbox=document.getElementById("third-party-cookie-checkbox");var $parkAcceptAllCookiesButton=document.getElementById("accept-all-cookies-btn");var executeTrackingPixel=function(trigger){if(trigger===true&&typeof pxTracking==="function"){pxTracking()}};var getCookieExpirationTime=function(){var d=new Date;d.setTime(d.getTime()+7*24*60*60*1e3);return d.toUTCString()};var saveParkingCookie=function(statisticsCookie){var cookieConsent={necessary:true,statistics:statisticsCookie,version:1,timestamp:(new Date).getTime()};document.cookie="CookieConsent="+JSON.stringify(cookieConsent)+";expires="+getCookieExpirationTime()};if($parkModalButton!=null){$parkModalButton.onclick=function(e){$parkModal.classList.remove("disabled")}}if($parkModalCloseButton!=null){$parkModalCloseButton.onclick=function(e){$parkModal.classList.add("disabled");$parkCookieMessage.classList.add("disabled");saveParkingCookie($parkThirdPartyCookieCheckbox.checked);executeTrackingPixel($parkThirdPartyCookieCheckbox.checked)}}if($parkAcceptAllCookiesButton!=null){$parkAcceptAllCookiesButton.onclick=function(){$parkCookieMessage.classList.add("disabled");saveParkingCookie(true);executeTrackingPixel(true)}}if(dto.executeTrackingPixels===true){executeTrackingPixel(true)} ;clickControlParams[onclick_param_l]=onclick_value_l;clickControlParams[onclick_param_v]=onclick_value_v;function setRlsAmount(){cafEl.forEach(function(part,index){if(cafEl[index].meta.layoutTypes.indexOf(dto.contentType)!==-1&&cafEl[index].caf.type==="relatedsearch"){cafEl[index].caf.number=dto.numberRelatedLinks}})}function addClickTrackUrl(cafObject){let params=Object.keys(clickControlParams).map(function(key){return encodeURIComponent(key)+"="+encodeURIComponent(clickControlParams[key])}).join("&");let parkingClickTrack="//"+dto.clickControlHost+"/search/cc.php?"+params;if(dto.clickTrack.length>0){dto.clickTrack.forEach(function(part,index){this[index]=encodeURI(this[index])},dto.clickTrack);cafObject.clicktrackUrl=[parkingClickTrack].concat(dto.clickTrack)}else{cafObject.clicktrackUrl=parkingClickTrack}}pageOptions.pageLoadedCallback=function(requestAccepted,status){let fb_add_params="";function isAdultStatusCallbackRequired(){if(!("adult"in status)){return false}if(ds===false&&status.adult===true){return true}if(ds===true&&status.adult===false){return true}return false}function isErrorCodeCallbackRequired(){if(!("error_code"in status)){return false}if(isAdultStatusCallbackRequired()&&26===status.error_code){return false}return true}if(isAdultStatusCallbackRequired()){fb_add_params+="&as="+status.adult+"&gc="+status.client}if(isErrorCodeCallbackRequired()){fb_add_params+="&ec="+parseInt(status.error_code)}if(fb_add_params.length===0||fb_token.length===0){return}let request=new XMLHttpRequest;request.open("GET",fb+fb_token+fb_add_params,true);request.send()};function collectCafObjects(){let cafObjects=[pageOptions];cafEl.forEach(function(part,index){if(cafEl[index].meta.layoutTypes.indexOf(tlt)===-1){return}if(cafEl[index].caf.type==="ads"){addClickTrackUrl(cafEl[index].caf);cafEl[index].caf.number=noAds}pdto.caf.uiOptimize=dto.uiOptimize;if(cafEl[index].caf.type==="relatedsearch"&&dto.rls.length>0){return}if(cafEl[index].caf.type==="searchbox"&&dsb===false){return}cafObjects.push(cafEl[index].caf)});return cafObjects}function appendCafRls(){if(dto.rls.length<=0){return}let start=0;let cafRlObjects=[pdto.caf];cafEl.forEach(function(part,index){if(cafEl[index].meta.layoutTypes.indexOf(dto.contentType)!==-1&&cafEl[index].caf.type==="relatedsearch"){let stop=start+cafEl[index].caf.number;let terms=[];for(var i=start;idto.rls.length-1){break}terms[i]=dto.rls[i].term;start=i+1}cafEl[index].caf.terms=terms.join(",");cafEl[index].caf.optimizeTerms=false;cafRlObjects.push(cafEl[index].caf)}});createCaf.apply(this,cafRlObjects)}if(typeof google!=="undefined"){window.createCaf=function(){function F(args){return google.ads.domains.Caf.apply(this,args)}F.prototype=google.ads.domains.Caf.prototype;return function(){return new F(arguments)}}();setRlsAmount();if(dto.advt===1&&dto.contentType!==2&&dto.contentType!==3){appendCafRls()}let cafObjects=collectCafObjects();if(cafObjects.length>1){createCaf.apply(this,cafObjects)}}})();if(dto.tsc){var request=new XMLHttpRequest;request.open("GET",dto.pu+"/search/tsc.php?"+dto.tscQs);request.send()}var $parkModalButton=document.getElementById("cookie-modal-open");var $parkModalCloseButton=document.getElementById("cookie-modal-close");var $parkModal=document.getElementById("cookie-modal-window");var $parkCookieMessage=document.getElementById("cookie-message");var $parkThirdPartyCookieCheckbox=document.getElementById("third-party-cookie-checkbox");var $parkAcceptAllCookiesButton=document.getElementById("accept-all-cookies-btn");var executeTrackingPixel=function(trigger){if(trigger===true&&typeof pxTracking==="function"){pxTracking()}};var getCookieExpirationTime=function(){var d=new Date;d.setTime(d.getTime()+7*24*60*60*1e3);return d.toUTCString()};var saveParkingCookie=function(statisticsCookie){var cookieConsent={necessary:true,statistics:statisticsCookie,version:1,timestamp:(new Date).getTime()};document.cookie="CookieConsent="+JSON.stringify(cookieConsent)+";expires="+getCookieExpirationTime()};if($parkModalButton!=null){$parkModalButton.onclick=function(e){$parkModal.classList.remove("disabled")}}if($parkModalCloseButton!=null){$parkModalCloseButton.onclick=function(e){$parkModal.classList.add("disabled");$parkCookieMessage.classList.add("disabled");saveParkingCookie($parkThirdPartyCookieCheckbox.checked);executeTrackingPixel($parkThirdPartyCookieCheckbox.checked)}}if($parkAcceptAllCookiesButton!=null){$parkAcceptAllCookiesButton.onclick=function(){$parkCookieMessage.classList.add("disabled");saveParkingCookie(true);executeTrackingPixel(true)}}if(dto.executeTrackingPixels===true){executeTrackingPixel(true)}