Norecopa: a National Consensus Platform working to advance the 3Rs internationally
Norecopa is Norway’s 3R platform, with a Board that represents all the four major stakeholders in animal research: regulators, industry, scientists and animal welfare organisations. It is affiliated to the European umbrella organisation ecopa, whose aim is to seek consensus between stakeholders and advance the three Rs of Russell & Burch (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement). Norecopa was established in 2007, and has built up a website with over 8,500 pages of global 3R resources. The site contains several databases produced by Norecopa’s staff and the EU Commission: these include 3R Guide (a global overview of guidelines for animal research) and NORINA (a database of audiovisual aids which can replace animal use in education, at all levels from school dissections to undergraduate courses and training of animal care staff and scientists). Norecopa is involved in a number of strategies to improve the quality of preclinical science. These include:
• The PREPARE guidelines were written to encourage scientists – with good help from animal care staff – to plan more valid, reproducible and translatable experiments which fully implement the 3Rs. PREPARE includes a 2-page checklist, available in 25 languages, and a website with more information about all the topics on the checklist. PREPARE helps scientists realise the importance of close collaboration with animal care staff from day 1 of planning.
• In 2020, Norecopa launched a Refinement Wiki , with the aim of offering all animal care staff a portal where they can publish their experiences in trying to refine animal experiments. The Wiki aims to be a halfway-house between scientific publications and conversations on discussion forums (where many worthwhile ideas get mentioned, only to be forgotten in time by most). Staff can either post ideas themselves, or request Norecopa to publish them on their behalf.
• Norecopa also hosts the website of the International Culture of Care Network. This is a group of professionals, of all categories, who share ways in which we can improve the support given to personnel in research facilities: recognising efforts made to improve animal welfare, avoiding compassion fatigue and developing a state of trust so that any member of the group has the confidence to raise an issue, or challenge a proposed route of action without fear of reprisals.
