Awards
This page describes awards won by Norecopa and the NORINA database. It also includes awards for other work within the 3Rs at the Laboratory Animal Unit at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science up until 2011, when NORINA was transferred to Norecopa.
The Stiansen Award for 2014
Norecopa was awarded the Stiansen Award in 2014 for, among other things, the NORINA database. This prize is awarded annually by the Stiansen Foundation and consists of a sculpture by Elena Engelsen and 50,000 Norwegian kroner.
The Nordic Prize for Alternatives to Animal Experiments 2003 
Karina and Adrian Smith were awarded the Nordic Prize for Alternatives to Animal Experiments in 2003. This prize is awarded jointly by three Nordic animal welfare organisations: Swedish Fund for Research without Animal Experiments (Stiftelsen Forskning utan djurförsök), The Finnish Juliana von Wendt Fund (Juliana von Wendts Stiftelse) and The Danish Society for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Landsforeningen Forsøgsdyrenes Værn, more information on their website).
The prize was awarded for the development of the NORINA database.
The prizewinners held the following presentations in Copenhagen on October 7th 2003:
The NORINA database of alternatives (Karina Smith)
Databases on alternatives: What is available and how are they used? (Adrian Smith)
The Ministry of Education and Research's Quality of Education Prize
The Reference Centre achieved third place (NOK 200,000) in the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research's annual Quality of Education Prize in 2003 for its work to quality-control research-based teaching within laboratory animal science.
The prize was presented at the NOKUT conference in Tromsø in May. Secretary of State Bjørn Haugland described the work of the Centre as follows (our unofficial translation):
"The project consists of several elements. First, the Centre has developed a course in Laboratory Animal Science. In addition, it has developed a range of Internet services, including general information on Laboratory Animal Science and the mandatory requirements for training in this field for all those who use animals in research. Furthermore, it has produced two databases. The first one, NORINA (A Norwegian Inventory of Audiovisuals, contains information on audiovisual aids and other alternatives to the use of animals in teaching. The other, TextBase contains information on literature within Laboratory Animal Science. Both databases are in English and are available free of charge on the Internet. In connection with this work the Centre has established cooperation with Macquarie University i Australia.
As part of their quality control, the Centre applied for and achieved accreditation status from AAALAC International (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care and Use), an organisation that places emphasis on animal protection and welfare.
The jury placed particular emphasis on the projects innovative approach, using new and existing media to adapt to the demands of national legislation. The Centre's breadth of work, providing information both to the scientific community and the general public, is emphasised. The Centre's international focus has contributed to the spread of information far beyond our country's borders."
The GlaxoSmithKline Animal Welfare Prize
The Reference Centre won the 2003 GlaxoSmithKline Animal Welfare Prize, which is awarded annually in conjunction with the Research Defence Society in London.
The GlaxoSmithKline Laboratory Animal Welfare Prize, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, is the largest laboratory animal welfare prize in Europe. It is awarded every year by RDS to an individual or group working in Europe for "contributions to improvements in the welfare of animals in laboratory procedures or recommendations or techniques that reduce the number of animals required for laboratory procedures".
In his speech at the award ceremony, the President of the RDS, Lord Taverne, said:
"The Norwegian Reference Centre is best known for its NORINA database of alternatives to the use of animals in education and training. However, the breadth of the Centre's activities impressed the prize panel. The Centre has developed and maintains other useful databases in this area, including TextBase, and has made significant contributions to international projects on alternatives and the development of best practice such as the AltWeb project co-ordinated by the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) in Baltimore".
Speech by Adrian Smith on acceptance of the award.
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