An online platform is being developed in Spain to support an earlier and more systematic integration of the 3Rs — replacement, reduction and refinement — in animal research.

The platform, 3rs.es, is designed to help researchers consider replacement, reduction and refinement at the project design stage, before proposals reach formal ethical review. It was developed by Alberto Pastor Campos, a veterinarian specialising in research ethics, Head of the Responsible Research Office at Miguel Hernández University (UMH), and current President of SECAL, the Spanish Society for Laboratory Animal Science.

3rs.es works by analysing the Non-Technical Summary (NTS) of a proposed study — a mandatory, publicly available document in the European Union describing a project’s objectives, the species involved and the measures planned to minimise harm. Based on this analysis, the platform generates suggestions to help optimise proposals in line with the 3Rs principle.

According to Alberto Pastor, the tool is intended to bring ethical reflection on the 3Rs closer to the beginning of the research process, rather than concentrating it at the review stage. “The problem is that most ethical reflection happens too late — during review rather than during design. 3rs.es places that reflection where it truly belongs: in the initial project design,” said Pastor.

The platform will support researchers in strengthening the quality and rigour of their proposals from the outset, while also offering ethics committees and other review bodies a more structured basis for assessment. It may also serve as a useful educational resource for students and early-career researchers learning how to design studies that combine scientific quality, integrity and animal welfare.

3rs.es is currently approaching its beta phase, and live demo sessions are being organised for the research community. More information is available on the platform’s website: https://3rs.es.

Laura Bernal Sánchez, EARA Ambassador in Spain