The 2026 call for 3Rs Support Grants closed with 112 applications, around ten times the number received by any comparable earlier round. That was far more than the budget could fund or the expert panel could review in depth, so we changed the assessment procedure after the call had closed. This page explains what we did, […]

Cell-based technologies, ranging from conventional cell culture to more complex engineered models such as organoids and organ-on-chip systems, are becoming increasingly important for biomedical research, drug development and toxicology. By generating information before animal studies are undertaken, they contribute to the Reduction of animal use in research. Depending on the scientific context, they may even […]

Miriam Zemanova created a website to let scientists know about tricks to reduce or eliminate harm to animals while studying wildlife. For that project she received the 3Rs Award 2026.

The two 2026 winners of the Young 3Rs Investigators Awards are Blandine Clément, for her work on treating chronic pain, and Amanzhol Kurmashev, for his work on tackling antibiotic resistance.

This report looks at if and how Swiss scientists are going beyond legal compliance in how they implement the Culture of Care.

The Culture of Care Award recognises an individual or group who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting and implementing a strong Culture of Care within a research institution that uses animals. The award honours initiatives that go beyond legal requirements, fostering a positive and responsible research environment that benefits animals, staff and society. This may […]

This is an extended breakdown of the activities of the Swiss 3RCC in 2025. It's intended primarily for our partners, funders and the wider research community.

Our Activity Reports are condensed overviews on our activities. They are an accessible insight into the work that goes on at the Swiss 3RCC.

This report provides a structured overview of national and international initiatives aimed at replacing and reducing the use of animals in research, testing and education. Focusing on legally binding measures and regulatory-driven actions, the report maps developments across sectors such as cosmetics testing, chemical safety and biomedical research. It highlights policy shifts led by governments, […]

Every day, in laboratories across Switzerland, mice are picked up, moved, weighed or examined. These small actions happen thousands of times, and for a long time, hardly anyone questioned how they were done. For many years, mice were commonly lifted by the base of the tail. While this method does not cause pain, researchers have […]

Neuroscience, the study of the brain and nervous system, is one of the research areas in Switzerland that has relied heavily on the use of animals, as revealed by our analysis of trends in the number of animal uses over the last 27 years. As scientific methods advance, new possibilities are emerging to replace animal […]

Every medicine we rely on today, from painkillers to cancer drugs, has gone through a long and complex development process. Before a drug ever reaches patients, it must be carefully tested to check if it is safe and effective. Today, much of this testing is still done in animals. While studies using animals can provide […]

A factsheet explaining how animals are used in Switzerland, how often, and with what level of burden, in simple terms.

The Culture of Care Working Group of the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Bellinzona Institutes of Science (Bios⁺) won the Culture of Care Award 2025 in recognition of fostering a culture of care for animals used in research.

As 2024 marks the close of the 3RCC’s second federal funding period, we reflect on a phase of notable progress across our core mandates.

The Pint of Science has had huge success in reaching the public with science for many years and we were delighted to host evenings of the 3Rs presentations and discussion in Bern and Geneva in May 2025.

The 3RCC has appointed former Vice Chair, Dr. Homare Yamahachi from the University of Bern as the new Executive Board Chair.

The 3Rs are a fundamental principle for professionals working in science with animals, yet outside the research community, they remain relatively unknown. For the 3RCC, outreach is imperative—not only to highlight the importance of animals in research but also to showcase the continuous progress being made to Replace and Reduce animals in science, and to Refine their use. With this goal in mind, and on a chilly Saturday night in November, the 3RCC brought the 3Rs to a packed audience at CatCave9, a monthly improv show.

Two pioneering research projects will be funded under the Targeted Call 2023 funding scheme to advance responsibility by reducing surplus animals and promoting change.

The Swiss 3R Competence Centre (3RCC) will fund five research projects spanning different focuses within the 3Rs (replace, reduce, refine) at Swiss research institutions with a total of CHF 1,855,623. The projects aim to develop comprehensive strategies, with the objective of effectively implementing precise methodologies. Of the five projects, three focus on the implementation of […]

The Swiss 3R Competence Centre (3RCC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rolf Zeller as its new Vice President.

The 3RCC will fund five projects aiming to replace, reduce and refine animal experiments with CHF 1.4 million.

The 3RCC will fund four projects that replace, reduce and refine animal experiments with CHF 1.3 million.

The 3RCC will fund six projects that aim to replace, reduce and refine animal experiments at Swiss research institutions with CHF 1.2 million. The projects include novel approaches to improve cell cultures and organoids that replace animals used in experiments as well as new strategies for surgery training and breeding with the aim to improve animal welfare and reduce the number of living animals necessary.