Understanding Animal Research

The Research Defence Society (RDS) was founded in 1908 "to make known the facts as to experiments on animals in this country; the immense importance to the welfare of mankind of such experiments and the great saving of human life and health directly attributable to them".{{cite book|title=Publications of the Research Defence Society: March 1908-1909; Selected by the committee|url=https://archive.org/details/b21509025|year=1909|publisher=Macmillan|location=London|page=xiv}} Within a year, the society had over 2000 members with branches across the country organising lectures and debates. Over the next century the RDS campaigned against animal rights extremism including lobbying for a strengthened version of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill in 1994 and setting up a Legal Defence Fund in 1989 to pay the legal costs of scientists who were seeking libel actions.{{cite book|last=Ilman|first=John|title=Animal Research in Medicine: 100 years of politics, protest and progress. The Story of the Research Defence Society|year=2008|publisher=Research Defence Society|isbn=978-0-9560008-04}}

The Coalition for Medical Progress was launched in 2003 as part of a wider alliance to communicate the benefits of animal research to the wider public. In 1999, 65% of people agreed with the statement "I have a lack of trust in the regulatory system about animal research". By 2007, this has fallen to 35%.

When the organisations merged Dr Simon Festing, executive director of the Research Defence Society, became its first chief executive.[http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/about_us/ UAR: History and Structure] In November 2012 Wendy Jarrett, who formerly worked at NICE, took over as Chief Executive at UAR.{{cite web|url=http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/2012/09/wendy-jarrett-to-be-new-uar-ceo/|title=Wendy Jarrett to be new UAR CEO - Understanding Animal Research|website=www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk}}

UAR is a membership organization with over 110 organizational members as well as individual supporters.{{cite web|url=http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Ourresearch/Ethicsresearchguidance/Useofanimals/welfare/index.htm|title=How does the MRC support animal welfare?}} It is funded by its [http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/about-us/membership-and-funding/ members] who come from various sectors including academic, pharmaceutical, charities, research funders, professional and learned societies, executive agencies and trade unions. UAR seeks to explain the costs as well as the benefits of animal research and features explanations of procedures on its website.{{Cite web|url=http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/how/how-overview/|title=How we do research with animals|website=www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-09-19}} UAR takes a number of different approaches to engagement, from running a schools programme which encourages researchers to explain their work to students, to policy and media work, to engagement with institutions which undertake animal research.{{Cite web|url=http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/|title=Who we are {{!}} Understanding Animal Research|website=www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-09-19}}

UAR were involved in the development and surrounding discussions of EU Directive 63/2010, which harmonised animal welfare standards in labs throughout the EU.{{cite web|url=http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/policy/european-directive|title=European Directive - Understanding Animal Research|website=www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk}} UAR has applauded the quality of welfare for animals used in research in the UK, saying that it is held to the highest standards in the world.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18104614|title=Government retains UK's strict animal testing regime|first=Pallab|last=Ghosh|work=BBC News |date=17 May 2012}}

The website provides extensive information, including statistics and videos, and news on animal research in the UK and beyond. In addition to the Understanding Animal Research Website{{cite web|url=http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk|title=Understanding Animal Research Homepage|website=www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk}} the organisation has created AnimalResearch.Info[http://www.animalresearch.info AnimalResearch.Info Web site], a website that provides peer-reviewed, fully referenced information on animal research and [http://www.labanimaltour.org/ labanimaltour.org],{{Cite web|url=http://www.labanimaltour.org|title=Home {{!}} labanimaltour.org|website=www.labanimaltour.org|access-date=2017-09-19}} which offers a guided tour of four laboratories with embedded videos of experiments, procedures and supporting processes such as feeding and cleaning.

In 2012, Understanding Animal Research, responding to a small dip in public support for animal research,{{cite web|url=http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/publications/1512/Views-on-the-use-of-animals-in-scientific-research.aspx|title=Ipsos-MORI: Views on the use of animals in scientific research|date=19 October 2012 }} announced the Declaration of Openness with 41 organisations, including charities, pharmaceuticals and universities, promising to take part "in an ongoing conversation about why and how animals are used in research and the benefits of this".{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/oct/19/public-opposition-animal-testing|title=Public opposition to animal testing grows|first1=Denis|last1=Campbell|first2=health|last2=correspondent|date=19 October 2012|newspaper=The Guardian}} On 14 May 2014, 72 signatories came together to sign the Concordat on Openness on Animals in Research in the UK,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27411472|title=Animal research 'pledge on openness' agreed|first=James|last=Morgan|work=BBC News |date=14 May 2014}} pledging to enhance their communications regarding the animal research they support, fund or conduct. As of 22 August 2017 the Concordat has been signed by 116 organisations.[http://concordatopenness.org.uk/list-of-signatories Concordat On Openness on Animal Research in the UK:] List of Signatories

• Three Rs (animal research)
• Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations

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• [http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/ UAR website]
• [http://animalresearch.info Animalresearch.info] The global resource for scientific evidence in animal research

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Category:Animal testing in the United Kingdom

Category:Organisations based in the London Borough of Islington