Imperial is committed to sharing the results of its published research with as many people as possible. When we communicate about research that has involved animal studies, we will always say so, explaining how and why animals were involved.

Google expedition CBS Unit

A still image from a Google Expedition around Imperial’s animal research facilities. The Expedition will be used by teachers and school pupils in classrooms around the world to learn more about scientific research with animals.

We aim to explain why animal research remains an important aspect of medical and veterinary science. You can read about some recent examples of animals used for Imperial research projects in the news stories on the main animal research page.

Imperial research staff are actively involved in communicating with the public about their work involving animals. Staff speak with journalists and visit schools to talk to pupils about animal research. Central Biomedical Services (CBS) staff also opened the doors of our state-of-the-art Breeding Unit to talk about research involving mice, and how the animals are cared for through an Instagram takeover. 

In collaboration with Google, Imperial has develop a Google Expedition about Imperial’s animal research facilities, as a way of giving virtual access to school pupils and teachers across the world. The expedition also gives information about why scientists work with animals, what the benefits of this work can be, and the importance of ensuring the highest standards of care for the animals.

Imperial College communication initiatives won several Openness Awards in the past decade.

Openness in animal research

In May 2014, Imperial joined over 70 organisations in signing the UK Concordat on Openness on Animal Research, making four commitments:

  1. We will be clear about when, how and why we use animals in research;
  2. We will enhance our communications with the media and the public about our research using animals;
  3. We will be proactive in providing opportunities for the public to find out about research using animals;
  4. We will report on progress annually and share our experiences.

In May 2019, Imperial College has been recognised for its openness about the use of animals in research with a Leader in Openness Award for the period 2019-2022. The Leader in Openness position has also been reconfirmed for the period 2022-2024.