The study, led by Emma Robinson, Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Bristol, has been awarded funding of over £500,000 by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) for the new research. 

Studies suggest that adult rats make ultrasonic vocalisations at different frequencies when they experience positive or negative events. It has not previously been possible to confirm this, but a novel method developed by the Robinson group provides an objective way to now achieve this. 

In the funded research, the group will find out whether two refinement approaches lead to more positive welfare and whether this is reflected in the animal’s vocalisations. This will provide proof-of-concept and whether this approach can be used to understand rat welfare.    

Read the full University of Bristol news item

Research study 'Could ultrasonic vocalisations provide the elusive, graded measure of affective state needed to inform refinements For The Laboratory Rat?' has been awarded funding of £565,942by NC3Rs.  The three-year project will begin in December 2023. 

Paper that led to the NC3Rs grant: 'Rat 50kHz calls reflect graded affective responses' by Justyna Hinchcliffe et al. in Current Biology