College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

The University of Glasgow has been recognised for its approach to public engagement, winning an Openness Award at the annual Understanding Animal Research (UAR) symposium for its debut appearance at the Glasgow Science Festival (GSF).

UAR announced the latest winners of the annual awards for openness – given to signatories of the Concordat on Openness, of which UofG is one – at a ceremony held at the Royal College of Physicians in London this week.

For the first time, the University’s Biological Services team applied to take part in the festival, proposing an activity that would introduce children, parents, teachers and the public to the use of animals in research, and the care and welfare associated with doing so. 

The outreach event was held over two days, with staff hosting a public stall in the Botanic Gardens titled “Enriched Animals = Better Science”, where visitors explored enrichment materials, examined real cages set up for different species, and played interactive games designed for children as young as two.

The UAR judging panel praised the University’s willingness to engage with the public in a location as open as the Botanic Gardens, and the “brave” decision to be transparent with members of the public who had not sought out information on animal research.

The team offered leaflets from UAR, displayed photographs taken by facility staff, and displayed a monitor featuring a virtual tour of the University’s animal facilities — complete with clickable species profiles and research examples — to help demystify animal research, showcasing the humane care practices in place as well as the important science research the animals support.

Handcrafted mouse and fish models, alongside UAR keyrings and leaflets, proved to be popular giveaways and effective conversation starters. Visitors arrived steadily throughout the event and included school groups, local families, and tourists to Glasgow; and on the third day of the festival, the team took the stall to the University of Glasgow Estates Summit, where staff were invited to sign up for tours of the animal facilities.

Dr. Elizabeth Hurd, Director of Biological Services, said: “We are delighted to win this award from UAR and would like to thank them for  recognising our efforts. It is important to raise the profile of our animal research work, not only as part of our involvement with UAR, but also our commitment to being transparent and engaged with the public.

“The festival gave us a wonderful opportunity to organically engage with people, and we fielded questions that ranged from challenging to charming, and feedback was incredibly meaningful and positive. We hope to do more public-facing events in future.”

Understanding Animal Research is a Mutual Society (not-for-profit organisation) that explains why animals are used in medical and scientific research. The University of Glasgow is signed up to UAR’s Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK, which commits signatories to being more open about the use of animals in scientific, medical and veterinary research in the UK. More than 130 organisations have signed the Concordat, including other UK universities, medical research charities, research funders, learned societies and commercial research organisations.

 

 

 

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Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk

 

First published: 5 December 2025