Funding of projects on the topic "Alternative methods to animal testing"

The funding program of the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) supports individual projects and collaborative projects nationwide for the development, validation, and dissemination of alternative methods to animal testing. The focus is on the 3R concept (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement), which aims at replacing animal experiments, reducing the number of animals used, and improving the experimental conditions. Funding is provided both for research projects on methodological validation in regulatory, application-oriented, and basic research areas, as well as for projects aimed at implementing and disseminating established methods, including training sessions, workshops, and training offers. The funding rate ranges between 50% and 100% of eligible expenses depending on the applicant; small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may receive an additional bonus if they meet the EU SME criteria.

Eligible to apply are commercial enterprises, universities, and non-university research institutions with an operational site in Germany at the time of disbursement. Submission takes place in two stages via the electronic form system easy-Online: initially, a project outline must be submitted by March 15; following positive evaluation, the formal funding application is to be submitted. Required documents include a detailed project outline as well as the formal application. The program’s goal is to rapidly transfer new scientific approaches into practice and to enable sustainable dissemination of the funded projects. By combining innovative research work with practice-oriented implementation strategies, the program significantly contributes to reducing animal testing and establishing alternative testing methods in biomedical research.