Animal Welfare Research Network: Building research quality, capacity and impact.

动物福利是一个重大的社会问题。例如，在一项对近28，000名欧盟公民的调查中，94%的人认为保护养殖动物的福利很重要，在英国，这一比例为98%，78%的人表示这样做非常重要（Special Eurobarometer 442，2016）。随着我们进入后英国脱欧时代，动物福利是议程上的重要议题，关于这个问题的辩论往往充满激情和情绪化，并对既得利益和偏见的论点持开放态度。因此，在这种情况下，迫切需要动物福利研究人员提供客观的科学证据基础，并传播研究结果和实现提高动物福利的影响。动物福利研究网络（AWRN）成立于2016年，以满足这一需求。它认识到动物福利科学是一门相对较新的学科，由相对较少的研究人员驱动，涵盖多个科学领域，包括但不限于：行为生物学，神经科学，生理学，兽医和农业科学，流行病学，计算机和数据科学以及社会科学。因此，AWRN提供了一种机制，将各种利益相关者聚集在一起，以促进思想和技能的交流，确定和针对关键的动物福利问题，并推动从基础科学到福利改善计划实施的各个层面的合作。AWRN已经证明是非常成功的，其成员已经发展到785名，包括来自动物福利和其他相关领域的研究人员，以及来自慈善机构，行业，研究资助组织，政策制定者和政府的代表。调查表明，成员们通过形成新的合作，提高他们的研究技能，提高他们对动物福利研究的理解，更加意识到该领域的机会，并取得赠款资助的成功而受益匪浅。到目前为止，AWRN已经举办了4次年会，2次赠款写作研讨会，协调了16个成员领导的研讨会，每月发送通讯，建立了一个活跃的网站，并促进了动物福利研究。在AWRN的下一阶段，我们计划在迄今为止取得的成功和影响的基础上，通过引入一系列反映动物福利科学发展，资助机会和成员需求的新举措和活动来推进网络。这些项目旨在进一步提高动物福利研究的质量、能力和影响力，包括：（1）举办一个新的启动资金竞赛，以推动新的动物福利研究理念（例如，通过支持试点数据收集，以及与合作者的头脑风暴日），从而为未来的UKRI和其他拨款申请提供支持。(2)开发和运行新的早期职业研究员（ECR）指导和实验室安置计划，认识到支持ECR发展以进一步提高动物福利科学能力和质量的重要性。(3)参与外展活动，教育和告知公众动物福利科学。(4)举办年度会议，解决动物福利科学中重要的新兴课题，结合网络活动和研讨会（例如，赠款写作）。(5)每年资助三个由成员领导的研讨会，将动物福利研究人员和其他相关领域的利益相关者/研究人员聚集在一起，讨论感兴趣的新兴主题，举办培训课程，并建立新的联系和合作。(6)维护和开发我们的网站（awrn.co.uk），以展示动物福利研究的成就和影响，增强会员专用内容和资源，并增加国际会员部分。(7)继续发展我们的会员，特别注重吸引更多的行业和慈善利益相关者。(8)探索未来的资金机会，以证明网络的未来。

Animal welfare is a major societal concern. For example, in a survey of nearly 28,000 EU citizens, 94% believed that it was important to protect the welfare of farmed animals, and within the UK this proportion was 98%, with 78% stating it was very important to do so (Special Eurobarometer 442, 2016). As we enter a post Brexit era, animal welfare is high on the agenda, with debates on the issue often highly charged and emotive, and open to vested interests and biased arguments. In this context there is therefore a pressing need for animal welfare researchers to provide an objective scientific evidence base and a way to disseminate findings and achieve impact that enhances animal welfare. The Animal Welfare Research Network (AWRN) was established in 2016 to meet this need. It recognised that animal welfare science is a relatively new discipline driven by a comparatively small number of researchers and encompassing multiple scientific areas including, but not limited to; behavioural biology, neuroscience, physiology, veterinary and agricultural science, epidemiology, computer and data science, and social science. The AWRN therefore provides a mechanism to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders in order to facilitate the exchange of ideas and skills, identify and target key animal welfare issues, and drive collaboration at all levels from fundamental science to implementation of welfare improvement schemes. The AWRN has proven highly successful, with a diverse membership that has grown to 785 including researchers from animal welfare and other related fields, as well as representatives from charities, industry, research funding organisations, policy makers and government. Surveys indicate that members have benefitted considerably by forming new collaborations, improving their research skills, improving their understanding of animal welfare research, becoming more aware of opportunities in the area, and achieving grant funding success. To date, the AWRN has run 4 annual meetings, 2 grant writing workshops, coordinated 16 member led workshops, sent out monthly newsletters, established an active website, and promoted animal welfare research. In the next phase of the AWRN we plan to build on the successes and impacts achieved to date by progressing the network through the introduction of a number of new initiatives and activities that reflect developments in animal welfare science, funding opportunities, and the needs of our members. These aim to further build animal welfare research quality, capacity and impact and will include: (1) Running a new Kick-start funding competition to drive forward novel animal welfare research ideas (e.g. by supporting pilot data collection, and brainstorming days with collaborators) that lead to future UKRI and other grant applications. (2) Developing and running new Early Career Researcher (ECR) mentoring and lab placement schemes, in recognition of the importance of supporting the development of ECRs to build further capacity and quality in animal welfare science. (3) Engaging in outreach activities to educate and inform the public on animal welfare science. (4) Running annual meetings that address important emerging topics in animal welfare science, incorporating networking activities and workshops (e.g. grant writing). (5) Funding three member led workshops per year to bring together animal welfare researchers and stakeholders / researchers from other relevant areas to address emerging topics of interest, run training sessions, and develop new contacts and collaborations. (6) Maintaining and developing our website (awrn.co.uk) to showcase achievements and impact in animal welfare research, enhance member-only content and resources, and add an international members section. (7) Continuing to grow our membership, with a particular focus on attracting additional industry and charity stakeholders. (8) Exploring future funding opportunities to future proof the network.