Young Researcher Award

The Young Researcher Prize is open to young scientists (up to 35 years at the time of application) with a desire to fund the next stage of a career focussed on an animal-test free future.

We want to encourage young scientists to develop a career in toxicology without harming animals by offering bursaries to allow them to advance in this area. We seek nominations from those working on replacing, rather than reducing or refining animal experiments. The Prize is awarded to fund future work.

At least one young researcher award will be given for work on computational toxicology.

Given the previous success of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) in skin and eye sensitisation, Lush Prize is also keen to address another urgent unmet need in human relevant toxicity testing, namely the drive for development of new AOPs in systemic or developmental toxicology.

Each Young Researcher winner receives £10,000 funding.

Entries for the 2024 Lush Prize close on Friday 1st December.

Please read the eligibility guidelines and complete the Entry Form below.

Young Researcher Eligibility Guidelines

These guidelines set out ethical and scientific principles on which the Lush Prize is based and the nature of work that is rewarded. The Lush Prize is based on the 1R of complete replacement rather than refinement or reduction.

You can see the Full Eligibility Guidelines and Requirements for Winners here. If you have any queries, please contact us.

The overriding aim of the Lush Prize is to reward individuals, groups or organisations who are working hard and doing most to find and push forward replacements to non-human animal testing in toxicology. Naturally therefore, the aim is that this money will be channelled towards those who aren’t involved in the use of animals.

The young researcher bursaries are intended solely for non-animal use, though we will not put any constraints on the institution at which the young researcher uses this funding.

Non-animal research in this sense means no use of non-human animals (including all vertebrates and invertebrates) or primary animal cells, or non-human animal-derived materials (tissues, sera, cells, embryos, antibodies, cornea, etc)s. Human biology-based approaches are strongly encouraged, although the use of established cell lines of non-human animal origin shall not necessarily be excluded.

The prize money shall be ring-fenced for non-animal use so that it cannot be used to fund any animal testing whatsoever.

Any nominee who does not quite fit these eligibility guidelines is welcome to nominate themselves if they feel they can provide a strong rationale for why we should consider them. Personal statements on their own position on animal testing will prove useful in such cases.

Any issues that may arise will be discussed openly with the candidate. It will be helpful if candidates flag up any potential concerns in advance.

Entry Form

We do not accept nominations on behalf of someone else. If there is someone whom you think may want to enter the Young Researcher Award, you can notify them using this email form.

You can save this form and continue later, should you wish.

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