Foundation for the promotion of research into alternative and supplementary methods to limit animal experiments
The foundation for the promotion of research into alternative and supplementary methods for the restriction of animal experiments (SET), based in Frankfurt am Main, is recognized as a non-profit organization and promotes measures that lead to the restriction of animal experiments in research, industry and teaching.
Against this background, the foundation works in three priority areas:
- Promotion of scientific communication about the state of research for alternative and supplementary methods.
- Promotion of the development of new replacement and supplementary methods, especially in those areas in which stressful animal experiments have yet to be carried out or in which scientific routine has hitherto blocked the view of such new methods.
- Promotion of measures that - such as the use of substitute and complementary methods in training - contribute to a wider application in scientific research.
For this purpose, financial resources are given to support relevant research projects, courses, congresses and publications. If necessary, own projects are also initiated.
Organizations involved
The foundation includes the German Animal Welfare Association and the Federal Association of Animal Welfare as well as the Association of the Chemical Industry (VCI), the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (VfA), the Agricultural Industry Association (IVA) and the Body Care and Detergent Industry Association (IKW).
Foundation bodies
All of the above-mentioned groups are represented on the Board of Trustees so that animal welfare and industry have the same number of votes and jointly decide on the allocation of funds. The Scientific Advisory Board assesses the applications received and makes recommendations on the allocation of funds to the Board of Trustees. In addition to the representatives of the federal ministries and the states as well as the major scientific organizations, the Board of Trustees includes: B. also represent church and trade union. The Board of Trustees advises the Board of Trustees on socially relevant issues.
Creation and financing
The restriction of animal experiments as a common concern meant that animal rights activists and industry have been working together in this foundation since it was founded on March 21, 1986, on the initiative of the then Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Forests. The foundation capital was made available by the industrial associations involved, from which most of the ongoing donations come from. Further donations are received from private sources.
3R research
The "3R" principle is internationally accepted as a guideline to avoid or reduce animal experiments and the suffering of laboratory animals:
- Replacement : Replacement of animal experiments with methods that do not involve animal experiments
- Reduction : Reduction in the number of animal experiments required and the number of animals used
- Refinement : Refinement and improvement of the test procedures so that the suffering of the test animals used is reduced and more and more targeted information is obtained from experiments
Following this concept, legislators, industry, research and animal welfare endeavor to develop and establish replacement and supplementary methods across the entire spectrum of animal experiments. 3R research mainly covers three areas:
- Areas in which animal experiments are required by law, e.g. the approval of drugs and chemical substances or the routine testing of vaccines
- The development of animal-free methods for basic research
- The use of animal-free methods in teaching