The University of Auckland has been awarded the Te Rau Hiringa Professional Staff Research Excellence Award for its Animal Welfare Team, in recognition of its commitment to ethical and transparent animal research. This acknowledgment comes as New Zealand Openness Week concludes.
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The award citation highlights the team's significant improvements to the ecosystem that supports animal research and teaching at Waipapa Taumata Rau. Notably, the team has halved the time required to process animal ethics applications, alongside enhancing animal welfare oversight.
Dr. Shirli Notcovich, the lead Animal Welfare Officer, mentioned that the team has put considerable effort into strengthening the governance of animal research. She stated, “Over the past two years, the University has strengthened its approach to animal research oversight, creating a more coordinated and transparent governance model with clearer roles, stronger accountability, and enhanced support for researchers.”
In addition to clinical care, the University's veterinary and welfare specialists collaborate closely with researchers to review research proposals, ensure adherence to animal welfare standards, and refine procedures to minimize distress to animals.
The Animal Welfare group at the University consists of three functions:
1. **Animal Welfare and Clinical Care**: Providing veterinary expertise, welfare monitoring, clinical support, and guidance on best practices in animal care.
2. **Research Integrity and Compliance**: Supporting independent review, assurance, auditing, and continuous improvement activities.
3. **Animal Ethics and Administration**: Assisting the Animal Ethics Committee in maintaining a rigorous approval process.
These groups work together to ensure all animal-based research and teaching complies with New Zealand legislation. In 2021, the University signed the Openness Agreement on Animal Research and Teaching in New Zealand, developed by the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART).
This commitment emphasizes greater transparency in the use of animals for research and teaching, ensuring that such use is scientifically, ethically, and legally justified, and only conducted when no suitable alternatives are available. The University adheres to the internationally recognized 3Rs principles: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement, which promote the use of non-animal alternatives, minimize the number of animals used, and improve care to lessen impacts on animal welfare.