IDIVAL is promoting this initiative as part of its commitment to ethical, responsible, and transparent animal research, and its adherence to the Transparency Agreement promoted by COSCE
A new tool developed in Spain aims to strengthen the integration of the principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement (3Rs) in animal research from a much earlier stage than usual. This tool, 3rs.es, is an artificial intelligence–based platform designed to help identify opportunities for improvement in replacement, reduction, and refinement during the study design phase, before projects undergo formal ethical review.
Aligned with its commitment to ethical, responsible, and transparent scientific research, the Marqués de Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL) is contributing to the dissemination of this initiative of interest to the research community—particularly to personnel involved in animal research—by promoting an earlier and more systematic application of the 3Rs from the experimental design stage.
The initiative has been led by Alberto Pastor Campos, a veterinarian specialized in research ethics, director of the Office for Responsible Research at Miguel Hernández University (UMH), and current president of SECAL, the Spanish Society for Laboratory Animal Science.
The goal of the tool is to bring ethical reflection on the 3Rs to a moment in the process when it can still meaningfully influence the configuration of the project. Instead of focusing solely on the review phase, 3rs.es seeks to support research teams while they are still defining key aspects of their studies.
To do so, the platform analyzes the Non-Technical Summary of a proposal, a mandatory and public document in the European Union that outlines the project’s objectives, the species involved, and the measures planned to minimize harm. Based on this analysis, the system generates suggestions aimed at optimizing the proposal in line with the 3Rs principles.
According to its creator, one of the platform’s main contributions is precisely this shift in perspective: incorporating early reflection on alternatives, animal numbers, and refinement of procedures, at a stage when methodological decisions can still be adjusted more easily.
In addition to supporting researchers, the tool also aims to provide ethics committees and other evaluation bodies with a more structured basis for reviewing projects. It may also be useful for training students and early-career personnel, by facilitating a more integrated approach to scientific quality, integrity, and animal welfare.
The dissemination of initiatives such as 3rs.es aligns with the commitment undertaken by IDIVAL following its 2023 adhesion to the Transparency Agreement on the use of animals in scientific research, promoted by the Confederation of Scientific Societies of Spain (COSCE). In its Institutional Statement on the use of animals in research, the institute reaffirms its strict compliance with current regulations, ethical project evaluation, authorization by the competent authority, staff training, and the guarantee of animal welfare.
This commitment is also part of a broader strategy of continuous improvement aimed at promoting rigorous, ethical, and transparent research, in line with the principles of reduction, refinement, and replacement, and with best practices promoted at the European and international levels.
Demonstration Webinar
3rs.es is currently approaching its beta phase and has already begun to be presented in demonstration sessions for the research community. On June 3 at 13:00 (CEST/Madrid), Alberto Pastor Campos will offer a live demonstration webinar of the tool.
Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf51atC71do96aJoExCmPRYCsJhQVvb6NPx0_qTWyB7HKmz_g/viewform
More information: https://www.3rs.es/
