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Urging NIH Investment in Nonanimal Research Training and Education
The Physicians Committee recently made recommendations to two National Institutes of Health (NIH) advisory councils, advocating for stronger support for education and training in nonanimal methods. Since April 2025, the agency has taken promising steps to prioritize human-based research and reduce animal use, but workforce development in this area remains an unmet need.
In May 2026, two NIH advisory councils met to discuss agency updates and plans: the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Advisory Council and the Council of Councils. These advisory councils are made up of members of the scientific community and the public, and they play a key role in advising NIH directors on policies, programs, and funding.
In two public comments, Physicians Committee experts recommended increased support for training and education in human-based methods, which are critical to their wider adoption as the NIH continues to embrace animal-free research methods. Our recommendations were focused on three main areas where funding support is lacking:
1. Institutional and Curricula Development Awards
Classes and curricula on human-based methods are not readily accessible to the next generation of health researchers, leaving a gap in training. We recommended that the NIH invest in research institute programming, curricula development, trainee support, and conference establishment.
2. Individual Awards
In addition to funding research institutions to better support training and education in human-based methods, the NIH should better support individual researchers to broaden their knowledge of and skills in human-based methods. We encourage the agency to support career development, fellowship, and training grants at a higher frequency, and with a focus on human-based research.
3. Transition Awards and Programs
As NIH increasingly prioritizes human-based methods, many researchers who have been trained to work with animal-based methods may seek retraining opportunities. We recommend that the NIH support career transition grants to help scientists refocus their animal use to human-based approaches.
In addition to our NIH advocacy, the Physician Committee actively works to educate and train researchers in human-based methods. Our one-of-a-kind Engaging Researchers in Animal-Free 21st Century Science program provides:
- hands-on workshops and virtual educational opportunities, like the award-winning Summer Immersion on Innovative Approaches in Science,
- financial assistance for researchers to attend conferences, and
- a supportive community for researchers pursuing human-based research careers.
