Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, which specific topics or scientific areas the proposed foundational training programme for PhD students and early-career researchers in non-animal technologies will cover.

These will be developed with stakeholders during the implementation of the Government’s strategy to support replacing animals in science. The strategy also commits to publish biennially from 2026 a list of alternative-methods research and development priorities, coalescing UK scientists around these areas and incentivising partnerships between research organisations, CROs and industry. We would expect this process to inform the topics for the training programme.