SAALAS 4Rs Award

SAALAS invites members to nominate individuals for the SAALAS 4Rs award.

The 4R award is being established in 2023 to recognise an individual or group who has made significant contributions toward the 4Rs and animal wellbeing in South African laboratory animal facilities. The award will focus on the 4Rs namely:
• replacement of animals with alternative methods,
• reduction of number of animals used,
• refinement of techniques to minimise the potential impact on animals and
• responsibility.

Eligibility:
– Any SAALAS Member i.e. a researcher, scientists, veterinarian or para-veterinary professional, animal caretakers, ethics committee members, institutional officers or institution who has shown an outstanding commitment to the implementation of the 4Rs.
– The significant contribution must have occurred within the last 2 years.
– Prize will be announced at the SAALAS 2025 Conference.
– Prizes will be to a value of R10 000, and the runner up R 5000. The prize money can be used in any manner that encourages 4Rs in the facility, however will not cover stipends, salaries or personal reimbursements. Evidence of how the award money has improved 4Rs in the facility must be provided to the SAALAS Exco within 1 year of being awarded.
– Prize money can only be awarded to facilities / individuals with appropriate animal ethics approval in place (i.e. an animal research ethics committee has oversight of the facility, all care & use of animals is approved by this committee and registered with appropriate regulatory authorities).

Application must include:
– Application form
– Nominating letter from a SAALAS member, motivating why the project or intervention should be considered
– Copy of published paper (or evidence of the effect of the project/improvement)
– Copy of the ethics approval for the study
– Evidence of a thorough scientific review of the study (if applicable)
– Evidence of how the work has, or is currently, leading to Replacement, Reduction or Refinement in the use of sentient animals in research, teaching and animal care.

Submission deadline will be 28 February 2025.
Applications are to be submitted to: labanimalsafrica@saalas.org

Click here for 4Rs-Award-application-form

Applications are assessed by a 4Rs Award Panel appointed by the SAALAS Exco. Entries are assessed by the Panel based on:

– The actual and/or potential impact on the 4Rs
– Importance of the research question
– Transparency and robustness of the study design
– How well the impacts (4Rs and scientific) have been disseminated to date
– Strength of plans for the use of the prize money
– Potential impacts for the research
– ***Please note that the award will not recognise standard / good practices that are only
being implemented in a facility years after they are considered standard.

Applications that show one or more of the following will be viewed favourably:

• Development of a novel procedure that replaces or reduces the use of animals.
• Developments of a novel approach to refining an animal’s experience (i.e.) housing/ husbandry / procedures / enrichment, with demonstrated positive impact on animal well-being.
• Improvement to existing animal procedures with demonstrated positive impact for animal well being and practical implementation.
• Improvement or formal validation of an existing non-animal procedure leading to more widespread adoption.
• Replacing use of sentient animal species with non-sentient species.
• Replacing use of animal products with synthetic alternatives.
• Dissemination of the 4Rs implications to scientific colleagues.
• Evidence of peer review (or paper(s) in preparation)
• A clear indication of the extent to which the work has already replaced animal-based procedures or how this may be possible in the future.

Terms of the Award

• SAALAS reserves the right not to proceed with the award. The announced decision shall be final.
• SAALAS may also make formal commendations as runners up for the Award, as it deems appropriate.
• Please note: any Animal Ethics Committee finding of a non-compliance may render the individual or group ineligible for this award.
• Evidence of how the award money has improved 4Rs in the facility must be provided to the SAALAS Exco within 1 year of being awarded.
• Prize money can only be awarded to facilities / individuals with appropriate animal ethics approval in place (i.e. an animal research ethics committee has oversight of the facility, all care & use of animals is approved by this committee and registered with appropriate
  regulatory authorities).