NWA Do-ReACT

The Netherlands aims to be a pioneer in animal-free innovation. However, chemical safety assessments are still heavily dependent on animal studies. New chemicals, or chemicals used for new applications, may only be introduced to the market once the potential toxic effects and risks to humans and the environment have been assessed. Many stakeholders also still see animal tests as the gold standard in safety research. However, in recent years, it has become increasingly clear that the results of in vivo experiments with laboratory animals do not always adequately identify the risks to humans. At the same time, although many new animal-free methods are being developed, these have not yet been adopted for chemical safety assessments.

Although many NAMs have been developed through the years, and the benefits of NAMs are increasingly recognised, they still see little use for regulatory purposes.

The aim of the “NWA Do-ReACT” Call for Proposals is to contribute to the validation of existing non-animal testing methods that focus on determining the hazards and/or risks of exposure to chemical substances for humans, animals, and the environment. This will promote acceptance of these methods and the results obtained from them. The ultimate goal is to bring these NAMs as close as possible to achieving international regulatory acceptance. This Call for Proposals also explicitly aims to gain insights into the validation process.

ZonMw is implementing this thematic programme of the National Science Agenda in collaboration with NWO. The initiators of this programme are the Ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W), Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN), and Education, Culture and Science (OC&W).

NWA Do-ReACT is aiming at a single project that encompasses the further development of various methods. This will allow the project to function as a learning community, in which knowledge can be accumulated based on various cases, with opportunities for higher-level research that generates generic insights and recommendations. For example, a consortium may consist of experts from humanities and social sciences as well as exact sciences, experts in Dutch and/or European legislation, civil society organisations and experts from the industry. Each party in the consortium plays an active role in the project from the start.

Consortium formation is encouraged through a series of two collaborative workshops. These two consecutive workshops form a whole in which the exchange of ideas is central, collaboration in consortia with other participants is explored, and the first agreements for the joint writing of the proposal are made. After the workshops, the consortia that have been formed will further develop the proposals. Participation in both collaborative workshops is mandatory for lead applicants.

Workshop 1: Wednesday, 14 January 2026, 12:00 - 17:00 CET

Workshop 2: Wednesday, 4 February 2026, 12:00 - 17:00 CET

The dates mentioned are part of a provisional schedule and are subject to change depending on availability and circumstances.