NWA-call: safety assessment via animal-free models
How can we encourage the acceptance and implementation of existing animal-free models? This is the key question in the new call for proposals published by the Dutch Research Agenda (NWA). Almost 2.9 million euros is being made available in this call research by broad consortia of researchers and civil society partners.
The aim of the program is to develop comprehensive research projects to encourage the acceptance and implementation of existing animal-free models in the safety assessment of substances for humans with associated legislation and regulations. This will contribute to reducing the use of animal models and more conforming predictions of health effects on humans. Consortia contribute to this in a multidisciplinary, integrated manner.
Three focus areas
To realise the objective, a proposal must touch upon three iterative processes:
- Demonstrating the usability and applicability of the model;
- Facilitating (regulatory) acceptance of the model;
- Developing a publicly supported values framework in which the degree of uncertainty is weighed up against the acceptance of the model.
Broad consortia with research and practice
This Call for proposals invites various parties from science, industry, professional practice and legislation to form interdisciplinary consortia for the development of scientific and practice-oriented research proposals aimed at the theme of this Call for proposals. All consortia should include organisations from across the entire knowledge chain.
Impact Plan approach
In order to achieve an integrated strategy for increasing societal impact through research, the Impact Plan approach applies in this call (see https://www.nwo.nl/en/impact-plan-approach). This approach is part of the NWO-wide knowledge utilisation policy.
Deadlines
The deadline for submitting initiatives (compulsory for eligibility, see tab 3 'submit' on this page) is 7 October 2021, before 14:00:00 hours CEST.
The compulsory matchmaking event will be on 28 October 2021.
The deadline for submitting full proposals is 17 February 2022, before 14:00:00 hours CET.
Budget
A budget of € €2.865.000 is available for this call for proposals. From the budget, three proposals can be awarded a maximum of €955.000 each with a maximum duration of 5 years.
More information about the program and the call for proposals can be found on the NWO website.
