The NORINA database is one of the services provided by:
The Norwegian Reference Centre for
Laboratory Animal Science & Alternatives
The Nordic Prize for Alternatives to Animal Experiments 2003
Karina and Adrian Smith were awarded the Nordic Prize for Alternatives to Animal Experiments in 2003. This prize is awarded jointly by three Nordic animal welfare organisations:
Swedish Fund for Research without Animal Experiments (Stiftelsen Forskning utan djurförsök)
The Finnish Julian van Wendt Fund (Juliana von Wendts Stiftelse)
The Danish Society for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Landsforeningen Forsøgsdyrenes Værn)
The prize was awarded for the development of the NORINA database.
The prizewinners held the following presentations in Copenhagen on October 7th 2003:
The NORINA database (Karina Smith)
Databases on alternatives: What is available and how are they used? (Adrian Smith)
The Ministry of Education and Research's Quality of Education Prize
The Reference Centre achieved third place (NOK 200,000) in the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research's annual Quality of Education Prize in 2003 for its work to quality-control research-based teaching within laboratory animal science.
The prize was presented at the NOKUT conference in Tromsø in May. Secretary of State Bjørn Haugland described the work of the Centre as follows (our unofficial translation):
"The project consists of several elements. First, the Centre has developed a course in Laboratory Animal Science. In addition, it has developed a range of Internet services, including general information on Laboratory Animal Science and the mandatory requirements for training in this field for all those who use animals in research. Furthermore, it has produced two databases. The first one, NORINA (A Norwegian Inventory of Audiovisuals, contains information on audiovisual aids and other alternatives to the use of animals in teaching. The other, TextBase contains information on literature within Laboratory Animal Science. Both databases are in English and are available free of charge on the Internet. In connection with this work the Centre has established cooperation with Macquarie University i Australia.
As part of their quality control, the Centre applied for and achieved accreditation status from AAALAC International (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care and Use), an organisation that places emphasis on animal protection and welfare.
The jury placed particular emphasis on the projects innovative approach, using new and existing media to adapt to the demands of national legislation. The Centre's breadth of work, providing information both to the scientific community and the general public, is emphasised. The Centre's international focus has contributed to the spread of information far beyond our country's borders."
The GlaxoSmithKline Animal Welfare Prize
The Reference Centre won the 2003 GlaxoSmithKline Animal Welfare Prize, which is awarded annually in conjunction with the Research Defence Society in London.
The GlaxoSmithKline Laboratory Animal Welfare Prize, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, is the largest laboratory animal welfare prize in Europe. It is awarded every year by RDS to an individual or group working in Europe for "contributions to improvements in the welfare of animals in laboratory procedures or recommendations or techniques that reduce the number of animals required for laboratory procedures".
In his speech at the award ceremony, the President of the RDS, Lord Taverne, said:
"The Norwegian Reference Centre is best known for its Norina database of alternatives to the use of animals in education and training. However, the breadth of the Centre's activities impressed the prize panel. The Centre has developed and maintains other useful databases in this area, including TextBase, and has made significant contributions to international projects on alternatives and the development of best practice such as the AltWeb project co-ordinated by the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) in the USA. The Norwegian Reference Centre is also actively involved in the provision of training and training resources within Scandinavia.
Scientists across Europe are continually seeking ways to improve the welfare and care of laboratory animals and to implement measures to reduce and replace the use of animals. In this they are ever more dependent on good information and training resources. By providing a substantial quantity of high-quality information about several different aspects, the Norwegian Reference Centre has made and continues to make an important contribution to the welfare of laboratory animals."
NORINA has been selected as Pick of the Litter on the Net Vet and The Electronic Zoo website, which is probably the most comprehensive collection of Veterinary and Animal Resources on the Internet.
VESO's Formidlingspris for 1996.
The Centre has won the annual prize awarded by VESO (The Norwegian Centre for Veterinary Contract Research) for its work on alternatives to the use of animals in research and its efforts to provide information on laboratory animal science.