Norecopa's 3R Prize

In 2010 Norecopa established a prize for outstanding efforts to advance "the 3Rs" (Replacement, Reduction & Refinement) in connection with animal research.
The aim of the prize is to increase awareness and use of the 3R principle in research. Special emphasis is placed on advances in research and development which benefit Norwegian conditions. The prize can be awarded for scientific, technical or administrative work.

The prize consists of NOK 30,000 and a diploma. It is awarded in connection with Norecopa's Annual General Meetings.

Do you wish to nominate someone, or yourself, for the prize?

The deadline for nomination is 15 March each year. Nominations can be sent at any time of year to Norecopa's secretary.

The nomination form can be downloaded here
The statutes for the prize can be read here

More information in Norwegian about the prizewinners and the nominees.

The nominees are evaluated by an external prize committee, who submit their conclusions to Norecopa's Board. It is the Board that, each year, decides whether the prize is to be announced and whom the winner is. The committee consists of the following, who sit until after the 2025 award:

• Bjørn Groven, Norwegian Food Safety Association (representative for government and regulatory authorities)
• Christian Wallace, VESO (representative for industry)
• Adam Lilicrap, NIVA (representative for research and teaching)
• Torill Malmstrøm, Dyreetikk.no (representative for animal protection and welfare)
  
  

Other 3R Prizes:
3R prize from the Danish 3R-centre
3R prize from the British 3R-centre NC3Rs
The Swiss 3R Competence Center (3RCC) award three prizes: their main 3Rs award, a Young Investigator 3Rs prize and a Culture of Care award
3R Science Prize and 3R Laboratory Technician Prize from EPAA (European Partnership for Alternatives to Animal Testing)
3R Prize from the University of Zurich: UZH 3R Award
3R Prize from Århus University
AstraZeneca 3R Award Scheme
Novo Nordisk 3R Award
Nordic Research Prize (until 2019), awarded by Alternativfondet and Forsøgsdyrenes Værn (won by Adrian og Karina Smith in 2003)
Ursula M. Händel Prize
SGV Award (3R prize from the Swiss Laboratory Animal Science Association)
Russell and Burch Award from the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States)
Animal Free Research UK Pioneer Award
Global overview of 3R Awards from Altex
Global list of 3R awards from NA3RsC 

Norecopa's overview of grants and awards

3Rs Funding Opportunities compiled by the National Agricultural Library, USDA

2024

The 3R Prize was awarded for the 13th time in connection with Norecopa's annual meeting on Tuesday 4 June 2024. There were three nominees for the award.
The winner in 2024 was Aurora Brønstad from the University of Bergen, for her long-standing work to develop Laboratory Animal Science, increase research animal welfare and increadse acceptance of the 3R principle. Presentations of the three nominees and the 3R Prize Committee's conclusions can be read here (in Norwegian).
The Prizewinner's presentation of her work can be downloaded here.

2023

The 3R Prize was awarded for the 12th time in connection with Norecopa's annual meeting on Monday 12 June 2023. There were three nominees for the award.
The winner in 2023 was Linda Andersen from the Industrial and Aquatic Laboratory (Stiftelsen Industrilaboratoriet, ILAB) in Bergen, for her work in improving the welfare of fish in research. Presentations of the nominees and the 3R Prize Committee's conclusions.
The Prizewinner's presentation of her work can be downloaded here.

2022

The Prize was awarded for the eleventh time in connection with Norecopa's annual meeting on Wednesday 1 June 2022. There were 2 nominees for the Prize: presentations of them and the Prize Committee's conclusions are available here in Norwegian.
The winners in 2022 were Anita Solhaug, Mona Gjessing and Hilde Sindre from the BIO-Direct cell model team at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, for their work on developing cell lines to reduce the number of research animals used to study fish health. The team's presentation (largely in Norwegian) can be downloaded here.

2021

The Prize was awarded for the tenth time in connection with Norecopa's annual meeting on Tuesday 8 June 2021. There were 8 nominees for the Prize: presentations of all of them are available here in Norwegian.

The winners in 2021 were Carlo C. Lazado and Elisabeth Ytteborg at Nofima, Ås, for their studies of mucosal health in fish, using innovative strategies which reduce the number of experimental animals used. A presentation describing their work is available here.

2020

The prize was not awarded in 2020.

2019

The Prize was awarded for the ninth time in connection with Norecopa's annual meeting and seminar on Tuesday 4 June 2019 at Adamstua. There were 5 nominees for the Prize: presentations of all of them are available here in Norwegian.

The winner in 2019 was Arne Olav Melleby at Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, for his excellent work in developing a better operating technique for mice in research on chronic cardiac failure. A paper describing the technique, where he is lead author, has been published.

Member of Parliament Morten Ørsal Johansen handed over the Diploma for the award.

2018

The prize was not awarded this year.

2017

The 3R Prize was awarded for the eighth time in connection with Norecopa's seminar and annual general meeting on Wednesday 7 June 2017. There were two nominees: presentations of them are available on the Norwegian version of this page.

The winner in 2017 was Senior Researcher Adam Lillicrap from NIVA (Norwegian Institute for Water Research) for his work in developing alternatives to animal tests in connection with monitoring of environmental hazards (ecotoxicology). His presentation at the prize-giving ceremony can be accessed here. A review paper describing this work, where he is lead author, can be read here.

2016

The 3R Prize was awarded for the seventh time in connection with Norecopa's seminar and annual general meeting on Tuesday 24 May 2016. There were three nominees: presentations of them all are available here (at present only in Norwegian).

The winner in 2016 was Senior Researcher Øystein Flagstad from NINA (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research). He has developed and validated methods for tracking animals in the wild using measurements of their DNA profile in their faeces. The methods are so precise that it is possible to follow the movements of individuals in large flocks. The prizewinner's presentation of his work can be read here (at present only in Norwegian).

The spokesman for agriculture from the Progress Party (FrP) and member of the Standing Parliamentary Committee for Business and Industry, Morten Ørsal Johansen, handed over the award.

2015

The 3R Prize was awarded for the sixth time in connection with Norecopa's seminar and annual general meeting on Tuesday 2 June 2015 in Oslo. There were three nominees: presentations of all three can be read here (at present only in Norwegian).

The winner in 2015 was Professor Stig Larsen from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Campus Adamstua. He has developed a mathematical model which can more than halve the number of animals used in dose-response studies, and at the same time achieve more accurate results. Instead of choosing the same number of animals at each dose level, the number of animals to be used at the next dose level depends upon the result at the previous level. This procedure avoids unnecessary animal use and irrelevant dose levels. The prizewinner's presentation can be read here (in English).

Special Advisor Kristin Thorud from the Research Council of Norway handed over the prize. Her speech to the prizewinner can be read here (at present only in Norwegian).

2014

The 3R Prize was awarded for the fifth time in connection with Norecopa's seminar and annual general meeting on 5 June 2014 in Oslo. There were 9 nominees for the prize: presentations of all of these can be read here (at present only in Norwegian).

The winners in 2014 were Ioanna and Axel Sandvig from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for their efforts to introduce non-invasive methods to reduce the number of animals used in studies of the regeneration of the central nervous system. In addition, their research on brain stem cells contributes to the ability to culture "artificial brains" (organoids) and to use them instead of research animals. Science Magazine has named this type of research as one of the ten most important fields in 2013. The presentation held by the prizewinners can be read here (at present only in Norwegian).

Jan-Henrik Fredriksen, Member of Parliament for the Progress Party and member of the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment, handed over the prize.

A presentation of the 9 nominees for the 2014 Norecopa 3R-prize can be downloaded here.

2013

The 3R Prize was awarded for the fourth time in connection with Norecopa's seminar and annual general meeting on 3 June 2013 in Oslo. There were 6 nominees: presentations of all of these can be read here (at present only in Norwegian).

The winner in 2013 was Associate Professor Gøril Eide Flaten from the University of Tromsø for her work with the development of a model to study absorption from the skin and intestines. The model has the potential of greatly reducing the number of animal experiments performed to test new drugs and chemicals. The model consists of a glass funnel with a membrane in the bottom containing liposomes (fat droplets). In principle, the model kan also be used to study the body's other barriers such as mucous membranes and the blood-brain barrier.

The method is presented in a videofilm made by the research group.

Gøril Flaten was unable to attend the prize-giving ceremony, so her place was taken by André Engesland, who also works for the research group. The chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Business and Industry, Terje Lien Aasland, handed over the diploma.

2012

The 3R Prize was awarded for the third time at Norecopa's seminar and annual general meeting on 13 June 2012. The prize went to cand.med.vet. Anne Berit Romstad from VESO (Veterinary Centre for Contract Research), Namsos. Anne Berit Romstad has worked on replacements for the painful experiments involved in testing new fish vaccines. The results of her work can have wide-ranging consequences for the way in which vaccines are tested in many countries. The chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Business and Industry, Terje Lien Aasland, handed over the diploma. There were two nominees for the prize in 2012 (a presentation of both of them can be read here, at present only in Norwegian).

2011

Norecopa's 3R-prize was awarded for the second time  at Norecopa's seminar and annual general meeting on 9 June 2011. There were 11 nominations for the prize.

The winner in 2011 was Professor Knut-Erik Tollefsen from the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). Professor Tollefsen and co-workers have worked for many years on alternatives to toxicity testing of chemicals on research animals. Over 100,000 synthetic chemicals are in daily use in a large range of consumer products. The work at NIVA is an important part of the process of replacing as many of the research animals as possible with alternative methods, such as celle cultures. The work of the prizewinner and his group has been published in approx. 30 papers during the last 8 years. In addition, the group has students taking a doctoral degree within this area. The knowledge being generated by this group is being used to obtain international acceptance for alternative testing methods by the regulatory authorities.
   Professor Tollefsen presented his work after the award ceremony. His presentation can be read here (in English).
   There were 11 nominations for the prize. The 3R-Prize committee decided to give an honourable mention to three of these, in addition to the prizewinner. The presentation made by the chairman of the Prize Committee can be read here (at present only in Norwegian).

2010

Norecopa awarded its 3R-prize for the first time in 2010 during the seminar and annual general meeting on 3 June. The prize went to the algetoxin laboratory at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (NVH) for their work on replacing the mouse bioassay for the detection of shellfish toxins.

There were 6 nominations for the prize: all of these were presented by the chairman of the Prize Committee. They are described in more detail here (at present only in Norwegian).