Request for reviewers of the Animal Materials Working Group’s Ethics Framework for Obtaining Material from Sentient Animals
UKRIO is privileged to be part of the Animal Materials Working Group (AMWG), a collaboration between academic and research institutions and public bodies.
AMWG have been led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute with support and representation from:
- Natural History Museum
- National Centre for the Replacement Refinement & Reduction of animals in research (NC3Rs)
- Responsible Research in Practice
- UKRI’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- UKRI’s Medical Research Council
- UK Research Integrity Office
- University of Sussex
- University of Southampton
- University of the West of England
The purpose of the working group is to pool cross-sector expertise and develop an ‘Ethical Framework for Obtaining Material from Sentient Animals’.
Your input
We invite any stakeholders interested in this topic to review the ethical framework drafted by the AMWG and provide feedback.
If you are interested in reviewing the draft framework, please contact Sarah Collison, Research Governance Officer at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (a member of the AMWG), at sc55@sanger.ac.uk.
Please note, that the deadline for feedback is 9th September 2024.
What is the purpose of the framework?
The use of animal materials and/or animal-derived materials in research is a wide-ranging subject area in terms of material provenance, material type, purpose of use and their role within that purpose, associated legislative landscape, the requirement for ethical consideration, and encompassing these, the appropriate level of due diligence.
The AMWG recognised that the complexity of this topic can culminate in any number of day-to-day, on-the-ground scenarios creating challenges regarding consistency in approach and standardisation, both internally within an organisation, as well as across organisations and sectors.
The ethical framework created by the AMWG aims to go beyond any requirements pertaining to materials obtained from laboratory animals via A(SP)A and provides guidelines for ethical assessment relating to the acquisition of materials from sentient animals. The Framework offers sector-wide, benchmarked ethical review criteria for the acquisition of materials from sentient animals for research.
Changes in funding requirements
In July 2024, UKRI introduced its new policy on research and innovation involving animals, which includes clear responsibilities for research and innovation involving or impacting animals that are not regulated under A(SP)A). The AMWG framework will help organisations demonstrate that their ethical assessment of obtaining materials from sentient animals is at an appropriate standard.
How will the framework be implemented?
Following the review process, the AMWG encourages research organisations to become signatories of the Framework, if they agree with, and can work to, either the Green or Gold Standards described in the Framework. Becoming a signatory illustrates to an organisation’s staff, stakeholders, collaborators, funders, regulators and other bodies and organisations that the signatory organisation is adopting an agreed ethical approach to obtaining material from sentient animals.
Additional considerations
The focus of this document is on materials obtained from animals defined as sentient, however the concept of sentience has been emergent over time and may develop further. Organisations are encouraged to consider whether to include animals not yet regarded in UK law as sentient in the requirements for their organisation.
Further information about the AMWG can be found here.