SAS The 3Rs: Management, Leadership and Communication, FHNW School of Life Sciences

You benefit from direct engagement with international experts and learn through real-world challenges how to advance 3Rs implementation in your organisation.

After completing the SAS, you will be able to:

• Understand how societal expectations, public perception and policy dynamics shape the use of animals in research and the implementation of the 3Rs.
• Identify organisational factors that support effective 3Rs implementation, including the role of Culture of Care frameworks, institutional structures and collaborative networks.
• Apply communication and change-oriented approaches to support the advancement of 3Rs practices within organisations and engage effectively with different stakeholders.

This SAS is for you if you operate at the interface of regulation, science and institutional practice and you are seeking practical ways to advance 3Rs implementation beyond minimum compliance and integrate them more strategically within your organisation.

It is particularly suited for professionals involved in animal experimentation and its governance in research institutions, universities, regulatory bodies and public authorities, as well as in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical and consumer goods industries.

It is especially relevant for:

• Heads and managers of animal facilities
• 3Rs officers, animal welfare officers and designated veterinarians
• Members of cantonal animal experimentation committees and veterinary authorities
• Preclinical and translational researchers
• Study directors, principal investigators and senior scientists
• Research strategy, governance and compliance professionals
• Regulatory affairs professionals

This SAS is the last of four modules within the CAS Strategic 3Rs Implementation in Biomedical Research and Testing. Days one and two are online, day three is onsite at the FHNW Campus Muttenz.

This SAS offers a broad overview of how to strengthen the 3Rs within research organisations. You will examine how organisational culture, stakeholder interaction and effective communication influence the implementation of the 3Rs across the research landscape. Using practical concepts such as the Culture of Care frameworks, institutional networks and targeted communication strategies, you will learn how to reinforce 3Rs practices in applied contexts.

Participants will apply the knowledge gained to a case study of their choice, examining a real-world challenge related to 3Rs implementation and presenting their integration strategy in a final written assignment followed by an online question and answer session. The SAS can be allocated to the CAS Strategic 3Rs Implementation in Biomedical Research and Testing within 3 years.

The following programme admission requirements apply:

• Tertiary A: Higher education qualification (at least a Bachelor’s degree) and at least 2 years’ practical experience relevant to the programme,
• Tertiary B: Colleges of Higher Education Diploma (HF), Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (HFP) or Federal Diploma Higher Education (BP), and at least 5 years’ practical experience relevant to the programme,
• Individuals without a Tertiary A or B qualification may be admitted if they cumulatively meet the following admission criteria:
• at least 10 years’ professional experience in a field relevant to the programme, of which at least 5 years in a managerial or senior specialist role
• additional qualifications (various non-formal, extensive further training courses or partial completion (>50%) of a tertiary qualification)
• evidence of knowledge of academic work or a willingness to acquire this in advance.