UK Bioscience Sector Coalition

Established in 2008, the UK Bioscience Sector Coalition (UKBSC)'s mission is to support the development of effective policy for the regulated use of animals in science through the provision of evidence-based advice and by fostering cross-sector representation, collaboration, and consensus.

UKBSC comprises an organisational membership that reflects the perspective of academia, industry, learned societies, animal welfare specialists, research charities, and research funders involved in animal research.

UKBSC's vision is a forward-thinking UK bioscience sector that:

• Leads in the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of animals in research and innovation, ensuring it is conducted with integrity, with all opportunities for advancing and integrating 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) approaches fully embedded, and underpinned by robust regulation.
• Is enabled to drive progress in human, animal, and environmental health, advancing knowledge and creating breakthroughs that benefit society, while the professionals who make it possible feel valued and supported.

The Coalition became a committee of the Royal Society of Biology in 2025. The Coalition is co-chaired by a senior member of the academic research community and a senior member of the industry community.

A secretariat is provided by the Royal Society of Biology. If you are an external body with a direct involvement in the use of animals in research and have general queries about UKBSC, please write to us at UKBSCSecretariat@rsb.org.uk

The use of animals in research

The RSB is a signatory to the Concordat on Openness on the Use of Animals in Research in the UK. This is a commitment signed by over 130 life science organisations to be as open as possible with the wider public about the involvement in the use of animals in scientific, medical, and veterinary research in the UK.

The RSB does not carry out or fund animal research directly but supports the use of animals in research under UK regulations when no suitable alternatives are available. We actively support the progress towards reduction, refinement, and replacement of animals used in research (referred to as the 3Rs) wherever possible.

Research involving regulated procedures on animals in the UK is licensed and overseen by the Home Office under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The UK's regulatory framework is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive and rigorous in the world. Proposed studies are subject to rigorous ethical and scientific assessment before approval and ongoing oversight throughout their duration.

It is a legal requirement that those conducting research on animals are appropriately trained. The RSB accredits training courses for this purpose.