AWI is pleased to announce the most recent recipients of the Refinement Research Award, which funds research projects that develop or test novel refinement methods, and the inaugural Implementing Refinement Grant, which funds the purchase of equipment or training to enable the implementation of existing refinement methods, to improve the welfare of animals used in research.
Refinement Research Award Recipients
- Dr. Robert Gerlai of the University of Toronto Mississauga for developing new handling methods to reduce stress and anxiety in zebrafish.
- Dr. Kristina Horback of the University of California, Davis for studying the impact of enriched housing on the learning ability, social behavior, and overall welfare of laboratory-housed sows.
Implementing Refinement Grant Recipients
- Dr. Sarah Baert of the University of Guelph to establish a positive reinforcement training program that allows rats to live in a free-range system and be caught and handled easily.
- Dr. Courtney Glavis-Bloom of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies to purchase touchscreen computers to promote enrichment and measure cognitive decline in marmosets.
- Anna Jimenez and Dr. Marie-Chantal Giroux of McGill University to purchase transparent handling tunnels as a less-stressful alternative to picking up mice by their tails.
- Dr. Kathy Lapointe of the University of Montreal to develop and implement a physical therapy program to reduce muscle atrophy and increase psychological stimulation among cats, dogs, and horses used for teaching at the university’s veterinary school.
- Rochelle Moore of the University of Utah to purchase a 3D printer to print custom caps that cover and protect cranial implants and surrounding tissue in rhesus macaques.
- Dr. Catherine Schuppli of the University of British Columbia to purchase larger cages and enrichment activities for rats and mice to engage in burrowing, climbing, and exploration.
Applications for the next Refinement funding cycle will be available in late summer/early fall 2024.