Optimizing animal welfare – the 3R principles

To align with national and international regulations, researchers working with animals must prioritize animal welfare by embracing the 3R principles for animal welfare:

1. Replacement

2. Reduction and

3. Refinement

These principles aim to minimize the use of animals and ensure that those used experience minimal suffering, pain, or lasting harm. Further details on the 3R principles and related initiatives in Denmark are available through the Danish 3R centre.

Researchers should carefully plan their experiments prior to conducting them to optimize animal welfare and experimental outcomes. For further information, please find additional guidance on planning animal experiments (PREPARE Guidelines).

International collaborations

All collaborators, whether Danish or European, must adhere to the same regulations regarding animal experiments. When DTU researchers are involved in projects conducting animal experiments outside the EU, they are responsible for ensuring that the animal welfare standards at these institutions meet Danish and European criteria.