NC3Rs 2025 survey to review regulatory ecotoxicology testing trends and application of 3Rs opportunities within Contract Research Organisations

Overview

Background and aims of the survey

The UK National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs, www.nc3rs.org.uk has a large programme focused on advancing the application of the 3Rs in regulatory ecotoxicology testing, which is conducted with support and advice from the long-standing expert NC3Rs Ecotoxicology Working Group. This group comprises experts and scientists representing UK regulatory/government agencies, contract research organisations, industry, as well as independent experts. In collaboration with this group, we are carrying out this survey of contract research organisations to determine current trends in the regulatory ecotoxicology testing landscape, and the opportunities and barriers for implementation of 3Rs approaches within the current the standardised test guidelines conducted for regulatory safety assessment purposes. The aim is to better understand where in vivo testing trends have changed following a similar survey conducted in 2016 (Burden et al., 2017; Reducing repetition of regulatory vertebrate ecotoxicology studies | NC3Rs); where and how new approach methodologies (NAMs)* are being applied; where refinement and reduction approaches are already being utilised; and where there are barriers and opportunities for applying 3Rs approaches.

The data collated from this survey will be used to inform and prioritise potential new projects and workstreams which will be supported by the Working Group. Data will also be used as a benchmark for current testing trends and application of 3Rs approaches, to compare against data collected of similar nature in any future surveys, to enable us to map and identify changes in the future.

Further information on survey completion

Thank you for considering participating in this survey! Before you decide whether to take part, it is important for you to understand why the survey is being done and what it would involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss with others if you wish. Please contact us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part and remember that your participation is voluntary. If you decide to take part, we ask you to confirm your consent prior to beginning the survey.

The survey comprises three components covering:

1. Organisation demographic and testing experience.
2. Further information on current testing approaches and application of 3Rs opportunities in regulatory ecotoxicology testing, focused across the themes of fish acute studies, fish chronic studies, bioaccumulation studies and endocrine disruptor assessment studies. In this section, we ask that participants complete all sections as far as possible relevant to tests their organisation conducts.
3. Other information and optional contact details for follow-up.

The survey can be saved at any point and returned to. The survey can be completed anonymously. All questions/responses apart from providing consent to participate, are optional and we appreciate consideration of all questions or a part of the survey, as appropriate. The amount of time taken to complete the survey will be dependent on how much of the survey is relevant to your organisation.

If you are happy to be contacted for further information in relation to your responses, please provide your email address in Part Three of the survey. Providing this information is optional. Contact details may be used for follow-up by the NC3Rs within six months of the survey closing. This will initially be via email to clarify or gather further information related to your survey response where greater detail would be beneficial to the analysis, and/or to enquire as to whether you would be interested in participating in next steps of the projects that are planned by the NC3Rs as a result of this activity. Not all participants who provide an email address will be contacted, this will be on a case-by case basis. If you provide your optional contact details, you are free to withdraw your responses without giving a reason, up to the point of data collation. To withdraw your responses, please email Amy.Marriott@NC3Rs.org.uk by Friday 23 January 2026. If no email address is provided during survey completion, withdrawal will not be possible following submission of the survey.

Data Management: The NC3Rs has a strong track record in large data sharing projects. Any identifying data provided in this survey will be treated in strict confidence and only used for the context of this survey. The survey data will be stored on our password-protected server. Data will be blinded prior to its collation and subsequent discussion within the NC3Rs Ecotoxicology Working Group. Your identifying information (email address), where provided, will also be kept confidential and will not be used for any purpose except in the context of the survey by NC3Rs staff in the case of follow-up (further information on potential follow-up is provided above).

Participation in this survey is voluntary, and all responses will remain anonymous. A data management plan is available on request (Amy.Marriott@nc3rs.org.uk). Please limit responses to one representative from your organisation, as this will decrease any chance of repetition. Participants should not compromise themselves by breaching any non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), company policy or confidentiality requirements in completing the survey. There is no financial incentive to take part in this survey.

What will happen to the results of the survey? When the survey has been completed, we will analyse the data we have collected and discuss potential recommendations for NC3Rs activities/initiatives within the NC3Rs Ecotoxicology Working Group. The anonymised findings may be published (e.g. in peer-reviewed publications, on the NC3Rs website) and will be presented at scientific meetings or webinars. Data will be used by the NC3Rs for future project planning. All subject identifiable data will be removed and deleted from Citizen Space 6 months after the survey has closed (23 July 2026).

Ethics approval: Ethics approval has been given by the Social Science Research Ethical Review Board at the Royal Veterinary College, London UK (URN SR2025-01202910).

Mandatory consent to participate

Please read the following statements. If you agree with these and wish to take part in the survey, please select “I understand the above points and consent to take part” at the bottom.                            

• I confirm that I have fully read and understood all the information in the “Further information on survey completion” section above and that I have had the opportunity to ask questions.  
• If I asked a question I was given a satisfactory answer.                             
• I understand and acknowledge that this investigation is designed to promote scientific knowledge. 
• I understand that my responses collected during the survey may be looked at by individuals from the NC3Rs.
• I give permission for the anonymous data, which cannot be traced to me as an individual, to be deposited in a research data storage facility and made available in association with subsequent publications, so it can be used for future research and learning.