Responsibility in the use of animals in bioscience research

This document provides general guidance to researchers and associated veterinary and animal care staff using vertebrates (live animals or animal products) in bioscience research funded by the NC3Rs, BBSRC, Defra, EPSRC, MRC, NERC, Wellcome Trust and other AMRC charities.

The guidance sets out the expectations of the funding bodies for the use of animals in research and is therefore also useful to ethics committees, referees and Panel/Committee/Board members involved in reviewing research proposals. 

The guidance covers a summary of the legal controls on animal use, the responsibilities of the relevant parties, the principles and procedures of the funding bodies, and the requirements for research or collaborations outside of the UK.