Funding & Awards

AWFS Application Form

1. Introduction

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research (DVCR) advises that UNE strategic research funding will be made available to support the implementation, discovery or development of methodologies, techniques and/or technologies that enhance 3Rs principles:

• Replacement of animals with alternative methods
• Reduction of number of animals used and
• Refinement of techniques to minimise the potential impact on animals.

Applications are accepted year-round and applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss the proposed project with the UNE Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) Chair prior to submission to the UNE AWFS.

2. Aims of the Scheme

2.1         To support the development of methodologies to replace animals in research and teaching

2.2         To reduce the number of animals used in research and teaching.

2.3 To refine the use of animals in research and teaching (reduce pain and suffering or enhance the welfare of animals used in projects).

3. Funding Allocations

3.1       Total funding for the scheme will be subject to availability and assessed annually.

3.2       Applicants are required to submit a fully justified budget which represents good value for money.

3.3       Funding requested may not be awarded in full if the UNE AWFS Review Panel deems components non-essential to the completion of the project, of a minor nature, and/or are not satisfactorily justified.

4. Eligibility

4.1         Applicants must be academic or professional staff holding full-time or fractional appointments at UNE at the time of the award.

4.2       Applications may include in-kind contributions, internally and from other institutions/organisations.

5. Criteria for Selection

5.1         The primary criteria used for assessment are:

Quality of the project – 50%

• Novelty, soundness of methodology, feasibility including value for money, and the identification and mitigation of key project risks.

Future impact of the project – 50%

• Advancement of an area of research that may allow application of one or more of the 3Rs to future projects.

6. General Conditions

6.1         Funds must only be used on approved budget items, as outlined and justified in the application. Where the UNE AWFS Review Panel has determined budget items that are non-essential to the completion of the project and/or are not satisfactorily justified, funds may not be spent on these items and the awarded amount will be reduced accordingly. This will be communicated to the recipient prior to commencement of the project.

6.2         UNE should be acknowledged in the project outputs, even if the project lead leaves UNE.

6.3         A substantial component of the work must be conducted by UNE staff.

6.4         If animal use occurred, the work must be conducted under a UNE AEC approval.

6.5         The University reserves the right not to proceed with the award.

6.6         The decision of the UNE AWFS Review Panel shall be final.

7. Administration of Funding

7.1       The Grants team will notify awardees of their successful outcome and provide an account code for their funding. The awardee will have access to the total amount awarded, as notified by the Grants team. All expenditure against this project code will be subject to UNE financial delegations, as relevant, and the availability of funds in the account.

7.2         Over-expenditure is not permitted. Any costs incurred in addition to what was approved in the original budget are the responsibility of the grantee.

7.3.        If an awardee leaves UNE, and as soon as their notice of resignation is announced, all unexpended funds are to be returned to the DVCR portfolio for possible reallocation.

7.5         If a variation to the project is required (e.g., change to budget etc.), the awardee should seek approval from the DVCR Delegate or UNE AWFS Review Panel via email to the Grants team (grants@une.edu.au), who will notify the awardee of the outcome. Please note that any such requests will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and must be consistent with the UNE AWFS Guidelines.

7.6       Funds must be expended within 12 months of award. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis, which should be made via email to the Grants team (grants@une.edu.au). The request should include a justification addressed to the UNE AWFS Review Panel.

7.7         Any equipment purchased through the UNE AWFS remains the property of UNE and cannot be transferred to another institution.

8. Assessment of Applications

8.1         The AEC Chair will chair the UNE AWFS Review Panel and will be assisted in the review of the proposals by:

• The UNE Animal Welfare Officer/Veterinarian or Director of CART
• Lay person from the Animal Ethics Committee
• Person external to animal research (i.e. Director of Research)
• Alternative panel members can be determined by the DVCR at their discretion.

The UNE AWFS Review Panel will make recommendations to the DVCR regarding the outcome for applicants.

8.2         The UNE Grants Team will provide administrative support

8.3         Outcomes and any special conditions will be provided to the successful applicant/team by email.

8.5         Conflicts of interest will be managed in accordance with the UNE Conflicts of Interest Policy.

AWFS Guidelines

3rs Award Application Form

Purpose of the award

As part of UNE’s commitment to the ethical principles of the Code, the Animal Ethics Committee offers an annual 3Rs award to reward and promote the implementation, discovery or development of methodologies, techniques and/or technologies that enhance 3Rs principles:

• Replacement of animals with alternative methods
• Reduction of number of animals used and
• Refinement of techniques to minimise the potential impact on animals.

Publicity

• Applications and nominations will be sought by widely publicising the award and application closing date.
• External publicity of receipt of an award is a condition of entry and must be agreed to by the awardee and, if appropriate, their employer.
• Media releases will be coordinated by the Animal Ethics Officer in consultation with the winner and their host organisation, and will be treated sensitively.

Application criteria

The application must describe methods and/or results that either replace, reduce or refine the use of sentient animals in research or teaching.

The applicant’s work should meet one or more of the following criteria, against which they will be judged:

• Demonstrates great commitment to 3Rs principles
• Demonstrates innovative implementation of 3Rs principles
• Will help to promote awareness of 3Rs principles at UNE
• Advancement of an area of research that may allow application of one or more of the 3Rs to future projects
• Development of a novel procedure that replaces, reduces or refines the use of animals
• Improvement or formal validation of an existing non-animal procedure
• Replacing use of sentient animal species with non-sentient species
• Dissemination of the 3Rs implications to scientific colleagues
• Evidence of recent peer-reviewed papers, either, published, submitted or in preparation.
• A clear indication of the extent to which the work has already replaced animal-based procedures or may be possible in the future.

Rules of the award

• Applicants must be:
  1. Academic or general staff holding full-time or fractional appointments at UNE (including adjunct, and honorary staff) at the time of the award, or
  2. Postgraduate and/or Honours students enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis at the time of the award, or
  3. From eligible external organisations where applications are assessed by the UNE AEC.
• A substantial component of the work must have been conducted by:
  1. Staff or students of UNE whose nominated AEC is UNE or,
  2. An eligible external organisation whose nominated AEC is UNE.
• If animal use occurred, the work must have been conducted under a UNE Animal Ethics Committee approval, which was active at any time between 1st January and 1^st December in the year of the award.
• The University reserves the right not to proceed with the award.
• The decision of the judging panel shall be final.

Please note: any AEC finding of non-compliance with AEC approval may render the individual or group ineligible for this award.

Application process

• Applicants must use the UNE 3Rs application form.

Judging panel and assessment process

• The Chair of the selection panel will be the Animal Welfare Officer.
• The judging panel will comprise two members of the AEC working group and two members of the AEC, including one Category B member and one Category C or D member. Diversity among panel members will be sought.
• The Animal Ethics Officer will provide administration support to the judging panel.
• Members of the panel will have appropriate expertise.
• Other individuals may be seconded to the panel; for example, to provide specific expertise.
• Members of the panel will be selected to avoid potential conflicts of interest, or if this is not possible, conflicts must be identified and managed appropriately.
• All members of the panel will read and rank the applications using a provided judging score sheet (taking account of any conflict as described above); the individual rankings will be discussed by teleconference, in person or via email, and a final ranking reached by consensus
• The ranked list will be provided to the Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Research) for approval.
• The Animal Ethics Officer will communicate the outcome to all applicants, and arrange for awarding of the prize and publicity as appropriate.
• The decision of the judging panel is final.

Prizes

• The prize will consist of a certificate and $2000 deposit into the successful applicant’s cost centre/project code. The prize is to be used by the applicant to enhance research outcomes and be consistent with UNE’s commitment to the 3Rs principles (for example improving environmental enrichment, conference travel, publishing costs, development of in vitro models).
• It is expected that the funding will be expended within 12 months of award. Upon expenditure of the award, the holder will provide a maximum two-page report to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), documenting how the award was used, the benefits derived and a brief summary of the research outcomes.
• At the discretion of the judging panel, co-awarding of the award to more than one applicant with a shared award prize may be considered. The judging panel may also make formal commendations to runners up for the award as it deems appropriate.

Reporting

Reporting of the judging panel is to the Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Research).

3rs Award Terms of Reference