Guidelines for Awarding Research Grants

A. General remarks

The 3R Research Foundation principally sponsors research projects in Switzerland.

Applicants from other countries must give their reasons for applying for a research grant in Switzerland. If similar applications concerning research in the same fields (Reduce, Refine, Replace) have been submitted concurrently, those from within Switzerland will be given priority.

Funding is granted to projects to research new methods or develop accepted methods up to validation and which offer practical alternatives to current animal experimentation in line with 3R's principles of Reduce, Refine and Replace.

The areas of research indicated in the appendix are those principally considered for financial support.

1. principally for:
   _remuneration of scientific and technical staff;
    
2. in addition for:
   _non-durable supplies;
   _purchasing and keeping animals;
   _purchasing apparatus and instruments (in exceptional cases);
   _travel expenses (see point 12a).

These guidelines apply to applicants as well as to the administrative organs and staff of the 3R Research Foundation.

All applicants must abide by the regulations laid down by the 3R Research Foundation, in particular the Charter of Foundation of 13th February, 1987, the Regulations of 15th May, 1987 and the present guidelines.

B. Grant Applications

Applications should be addressed to the 3R Research Foundation and should be drawn up according to the Foundation’s instructions for applicants. The Administrative Board sets the deadlines. The corresponding information is available on the internet.

All applications must include the following:

1. Title of the research project plus key-words.
2. Brief description of the project in straightforward terms for readers without any specialised knowledge, avoiding unnecessary technical terms (maximum 100 words).
3. Name of the project manager and address for correspondence, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address.
4. Name(s) of the research institute(s) involved.
5. Total contribution desired.
6. Aims and problems.
7. Implication of the research project in relation to 3R's animal protection principles (reduction in animal experimentation, refining experimental methods involving live animals and replacing live animals in experimental methods).
8. Implementation of results in practice, possibilities and limits as to how the knowledge gained can be applied.
9. Possible impact on legislation and the issuing of animal experimentation permits in Switzerland and/or Europe, as well as the rest of the world.
10. Scientific background: brief summary of the current status of research plus applicant’s own research work in the relevant field.
11. The use of vertebrates (laboratory animals, wild animals, number of animals, conditions under which kept).
12. Methods: materials and methods.
13. Overall research plan for the project.
14. Duration of project in years, planned commencement and completion.
15. Milestones: interim and final targets with dates.
16. Human resources: qualified academics, post-doctoral, post-graduate and technical staff.
17. Personnel costs according to current rates for the relevant university or research institute (normally the rates applied by the Swiss National Science Foundation), with details of salaries and salary levels including any allowances and employer’s contributions plus level of academic qualifications.
18. Equipment available, infrastructure, apparatus and consumables which could be used for the project.
19. Consumables; travel expenses, the cost of attending meetings, invitations, etc. may be indicated in a separate application (see point 12a).
20. Durable purchases, , the cost of equipment and instruments which are available in the market (exceptions only, see point 4a).
21. A current list of publications and a Curriculum Vitae indicating the applicant’s scientific career with publications, if relevant, that have a bearing on the project should be attached to the application.
22. The application should not exceed 10 pages, excluding attachments (Arial 11 point or Times Roman 12 point).

In the case of projects planned to run over several years, an overall budget should be drawn up, with an indication of annual costs and budget.

If any application for funding for the same research project has been submitted to another institution, this should be indicated in the application.

The structure of the application and its form (printed and/or electronic versions) are indicated in the instructions for applicants.

In order to find out whether a project conforms to the basic principles of the Foundation, an outline comprising one to two A4 pages may be submitted which describes in brief the 3R principles (possible impact and implementation), the experimental procedure, the expected results, the time needed and the required budget.

If the project outline is submitted at least 2 months before the next deadline for grant applications the applicant will receive an answer within 4 weeks with a provisional opinion.

C. Awarding of Grants

The Evaluation Committee of the 3R Research Foundation assesses all applications received and advises the Board whether to give its approval or not.

The committee may pass the application and project documents on to outside referees for their opinion.

The Administrative Board approves the research project and decides on the amount of the grant as well as the conditions under which it will be awarded, or rejects the application. All approved projects are given a number which should be referred to in all correspondence and indicated on invoices.

Applicants have no legal claim to financial support.

The project manager is nominated when the Administrative Board approves the application. The research grant is awarded to the project manager in person. The project manager's employer has no independent claim to the research grant. If the project manager changes his or her employer but continues to manage the project, he or she is entitled to the remaining grant monies.

Research funds are granted on condition that, once the application has been approved, the project manager submits a letter of confirmation from his or her employer stating that the latter agrees to the project being carried out using his or her infrastructure according to the approved research plan and in line with the present guidelines.

The Foundation undertakes only to provide the amount of funding promised to the applicant or the institution named by him or her.

It is the responsibility of the successful applicant to draw up contracts of employment with staff, to pay salaries, to arrange insurance, to pay all social security contributions and to sign any purchasing and rental agreements.

The grant shall cover all social security contributions, including those paid by the employer.

If for any reason the project manager cannot continue to manage the project the Foundation will decide whether the research should continue. If necessary it will appoint a new project manager who is qualified to continue the project.

D. Payment of the Grant

Once a project has been approved the successful applicant should inform the Secretary's Office in writing of the postal or bank account number to which the funds should be transferred.

The Foundation will then pay out the total amount approved by the Administrative Board in annual or more frequent part-payments.

Five per cent of the approved total budget is normally paid out only upon receipt of the final report in the form of a publication which has been accepted by a scientific journal with a recognised review procedure.

In the case of projects lasting several years, the amount actually needed for the year in question should be applied for by 15th February at the latest. Any changes to the original research plan or budget should be indicated (see Article 15).

The grant awarded is a maximum amount. Only actual expenditure based on a final account will be reimbursed. Funds that have not been used are to be repaid or may be credited.

The applicant shall pay his or her invoices. Vouchers with the project number and signed by the project manager should then be forwarded to the Secretary's Office together with the annual account by 15th February of the following year at the latest.

As far as concerns salaries and social security contributions the applicant or employer should present his or her account to the Secretary's Office by 15th February of the following year at the latest.

E. The Applicant's Obligations

The applicant undertakes:

1. to use the grant received for the purposes of the approved research project and to present regular accounts;
2. to use as few animals as possible for any experiments involving live animals and to strictly respect all regulations concerning the keeping of animals and experimental methods involving live animals;
3. to inform the cantonal authorities and obtain a permit if necessary before starting any experiments;
4. to request the 3R Foundation's approval before any changes are made to the conditions under which the grant was approved, i.e. in the case of technical modifications, alterations to the research schedule or changes in the budget;
5. to inform the Secretary's Office in good time if any funds allotted are not likely to be needed;
6. in the case of projects lasting several years, to submit an interim report to the Secretary's Office by 15th February at the latest concerning results obtained during the previous year;
7. immediately after approval of the application, to draw up a scientific summary of the project in English for inclusion in the Foundation's website, the text being set out according to the guidelines indicated (titles of sections); the Foundation's scientific adviser will be pleased to help in this task;
8. to submit a final report to the Secretary's Office at the latest 3 months after the project has been completed; this report should include research results and a short summary; a final report may also take the form of a paper submitted for publication or already published;
9. after successful completion of the project and if requested, to write a brief report about the results obtained, in collaboration with the Foundation's scientific adviser; this report will then be printed as a "3R-Info-Bulletin" which will be supplied to those interested and posted on our website;
10. to inform the Secretary's Office of any patent applied for in relation to work carried out as part of the research project funded by 3R. If a patent is registered, grants should be reimbursed in full or in part to the Foundation. In this case the Administrative Board will decide on the amount to be paid to the Foundation.

For the 3R Research Foundation

The Chairwoman of the Administrative Board
Christine Egerszegi

E. Diener, Secretary