Research Animal Training

Key resources to underpin teaching and learning for anyone working with laboratory animals
1 Webinar Recording
2 Blog Article
Webinar Recording

How can I integrate RAT resources into my training?

Join the developers of Research Animal Training and gain valuable insights into how research institutes are effectively using the platform to support the training of animal care and research staff. Learn about how integrating these resources into both your CPD framework and training of new investigators can save you time and money!

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Blog Article

The Evolution of RAT: Enhancing and Expanding Content

In late 2023, our training platform underwent a significant redevelopment. Learn about our new features increasing opportunities for institutions to administer and monitor staff CPD.

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Stay compliant

The use of animals in biomedical research is one of the most highly regulated areas of science in the world. It can be challenging to ensure compliance when working with and caring for animals in research.

You need more than just training. You need continuous access to resources that help you in your work.

Develop and maintain a culture of care

Refining research procedures to minimise pain and distress requires ongoing training and education for all those involved in caring and working with the animals used in research. Good science and animal welfare are complementary.

Our resources focus on practical refinements to research procedures, and provide evidence to support the use of improved methodologies.

Support your career​

Join thousands of students already learning with us. Stay ahead of the curve with new courses on severity assessment and licensee standard conditions and connect with colleagues in our UK Animal Research Community Forums.

Be empowered to contribute to the welfare of the animals you work with.

Registered learners
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Online lessons
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Knowledge base articles
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Features for learners

Expert instructors

Take advantage of the expertise and experience of our instructors who possess extensive knowledge and skills in the field of animal research.

A reference for when you’re working

Access an extensive knowledge base to support you both in the workplace and as you study. Refresh your training at any time and at your own pace.

Create your own CPD plan

Get access to all core content with a single membership account, allowing you to refresh your knowledge or learn something new. Use the site to meet your workplace CPD requirements.

UK training body supported

A growing library of lab animal science courses with completion certificates and progress tracking. Each course has been developed to meet the learning outcomes for Licencee training in the UK.

Stay up to date

Resources are kept current by adding new references and removing outdated sources.

Guided learning paths

Clear learning paths for all those with responsibilities for the care and use of research animals.

Topics covered

UK Legislation
Animal care, health and management
Minimally invasive procedures without anaesthesia
Principles of surgery​
Pain alleviation
Ethics, animal welfare and the 3Rs
Recognition and prevention of pain, suffering and distress
The severity assessment framework​
Advanced anaesthesia for surgical or prolonged procedures
Pain assessment
Basic and appropriate biology
Humane methods of killing
Design of procedures and projects
Anaesthesia for minor procedures​
Post anaesthetic care
Project evaluation​

Features for instructors

Provide added value in an instant

Budget-friendly membership that provides added value to your learners long after they have finished your training course.

Manage your own student access

Track the completion of assigned content and request bespoke learning paths and social discussion groups for your students (coming soon).

Flip the classroom

Whether delivering blended or virtual learning, you can incorporate our e-learning content, text-based resources and video into your training courses​

Simple billing options

Institutions can take advantage of annual billing, which is based solely on the number of seats assigned.

Endorsed by UK accrediting bodies

Resources directly support Personal and Project Licencee training.

Save time without sacrificing quality

Achieve more in less time by replacing in-person lectures with on-demand learning with the confidence that all the learning outcomes are being delivered.

Make better use of your teaching time

Amplify your teaching with scenario-based learning and bring discussions into the classroom.

A library of CPD at your fingertips

Provide CPD options to students, colleagues and fellow instructors. Learners can schedule their learning activities and work at their own pace, accessing individual courses on key topics.

Centralise your CPD tracking

Keep track of your colleague's professional development in one easy-to-use location. Create different training groups to stay organised.

Simple membership

Membership grants access to all core resources.

Try an instructor account for free today!

Get started and see for yourself what other institutions love about our platform!

Join us - you'll be in good company!

Hear from our learners and instructors

Meet our team lead

Emeritus Professor Paul Flecknell

Professor Paul Flecknell has over 40 years of experience in the care and welfare of animals. He has authored numerous scientific publications, books and book chapters and has an international reputation in this field.

Paul is a Diplomate of the European Colleges of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia and Laboratory Animal Medicine. He is an RCVS Diplomate in Laboratory Animal Science and an honorary Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. He is an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and The Institute of Animal Technology and has an honorary doctorate from the University of Ghent.

He worked as Director of a multi-species research facility for over 30 years and has extensive experience in the development and delivery of training and education in animal care and welfare. He has extensive experience in advising on facility management and ethical issues.

As head of the Pain and Animal Welfare Science (PAWS) group at Newcastle University, he published over 100 scientific papers, reviews and book chapters in the field of analgesia and anaesthesia of laboratory animals. The group is widely recognised for their work on novel methods of cage-side assessment of pain, particularly using pain faces and developing methods of measurement of affective state in rodents.

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Individual Membership

£ 20 Per year
  • All Core Courses
  • All Knowledge Base Articles
  • Learning Paths
  • Course Certificates
  • ARC Forum Access
  • Annual Subscription

Membership FAQ

  • Individual Membership (Learner Accounts) can be purchased via the link below.
  • Membership costs £20GBP (+VAT) per account for 12 months of access.
  • Payments are processed securely by Newcastle University.
  • Once payment has been received, an account will be created manually for you.
  • Access details will be sent to you via email.
  • Click to purchase an individual membership account
  • Multiple membership accounts (Learner Accounts) can be purchased via the link below.
  • Membership costs £20GBP (+VAT) per account for 12 months of access.
  • Payments are processed securely by Newcastle University.
  • Access details will be sent to you via email.
  • Once payment has been received your accounts will be created manually for you.
  • Click to purchase multiple membership accounts
  • Research Animal Training offers two types of membership account.
  • Learner Accounts are assigned to students by an Instructor as part of a Training Group. Inclusion in a Training Group allows an Instructor to track the progress of each student. Learner Accounts are purchased by the Training course leader, provide access to the site for 12 months and cost £20 GBP for each student.
  • An Instructor Account grants full site access and allows the instructor to assign students to a group and track the progress of the students. Once students have been assigned a Learner Account, this account cannot be reassigned to another student. Additional accounts will need to be purchased. An Instructor Account is created for you when you or your institution purchase a block of learner accounts.
  • Instructor Accounts and Learner Accounts can be requested and payment arranged by contacting us at support@researchanimaltraining.com.
  • For more details on instructor accounts and groups please see our Instructor Guide.
  • Learner account payments are managed by Newcastle University in the UK and by FLAIRE Consultants outside of the UK.
  • We offer a trial Instructor Account which will grant full site access in addition to 3 trial Learner Accounts so you can try out our tracking feature.
  • Trial accounts are free and grant membership to instructors and learners for up to 1 month.
  • Please contact us at support@researchanimaltraining.com to apply.
  • We don’t currently offer institution accounts but instead focus on offering enhanced tracking features for institutions who purchase a group of seats to allow them to assign seats to their students themselves and also track their students’ progress through the eLearning modules.
  • The pricing of £20GBP (+VAT) remains the same per seat purchased.
  • Further details can be found in our Instructor Guide.
  • Instructor seats are provided at no cost to your administration team.
  • An instructor account also has access to all the learning content on the website.
  • You can have several instructor accounts if it helps with administration.