SAS The 3Rs: Optimizing animal studies through Reduction and Refinement strategies, FHNW School of Life Sciences

You will discover practical tools and technologies that support better study planning and reduction of animal use. Furthermore, this SAS examines practical approaches to refining animal housing, handling, and care across different research environments.

After completing the SAS, you will be able to:

• Apply planning frameworks and guidelines to improve experimental design and reduce unnecessary animal use.
• Use statistical and methodological approaches to optimise study design, ensuring robust scientific outcomes while minimising the number of animals required.
• Understand how emerging technologies can contribute to reduction strategies in biomedical research.
• Understand the principles of animal welfare, severity assessment, and severity grading, and how these are applied in research environments.
• Identify opportunities to refine animal housing, husbandry, and experimental procedures across different research contexts.
• Evaluate approaches for monitoring animal welfare and behaviour with monitoring technologies.

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

This SAS provides practical training in designing robust biomedical studies while reducing animal use through improved planning, statistical methods, and innovative technologies. You will learn how emerging tools such as AI-supported systems and advanced imaging can support reduction strategies, while also exploring approaches to improve animal welfare, housing, care, and monitoring in research environments. The course combines scientific quality with responsible research practices and equips you with applied skills for future-oriented biomedical research.

At the end of the SAS, a multiple-choice questionnaire (pass/fail) is available, if you would like to receive ECTS credits. 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.