Continued support for preclinicaltrials.eu strengthens Open Science in preclinical research

Preclinicaltrials.eu, the international preregistration platform for animal studies, has received €680,000 in funding from Open Science NL to further develop and expand its infrastructure. The grant secures support for the platform over the next three years and marks an important step in embedding preregistration more firmly in everyday preclinical research practice. 

Prospective preregistration of study protocols is a key Open Science practice. All study plans are documented per institute, by publishing study plans online, researchers increase transparency, reduce reporting biases and HARKing. Since its launch in 2018 by a team of Dutch researchers, preclinicaltrials.eu has enabled hundreds of researchers worldwide to preregister their animal study protocols.

With the new Open Science Infrastructure funding, preclinicaltrials.eu will work on making preregistration easier, better integrated and more rewarding for researchers. Planned developments include integration with widely used research ecosystems such as ORCID and the Open Science Framework (OSF). In addition, the platform will expand the functionality for importing protocol data from animal welfare body software, reducing administrative burden. Which they already did for the Radboudumc animal research facility. 

A particularly innovative component of the project is the development of AI-driven tools that can help translate preregistered protocols into ARRIVE-compliant methods sections for manuscripts. This directly links preregistration to improved reporting quality and replicability.

Beyond technical improvements, the grant also supports work on the behavioural and cultural barriers that still limit the uptake of preregistration in preclinical research. By engaging locally with research communities and institutions, the team aims to further increase awareness and adoption of preregistration as a normal part of Open Science practice.

Are you curious about what preregistration could mean for your own research? Explore existing registered studies or preregister your next animal study at www.preclinicaltrials.eu and discover how preregistration can support robust, transparent and responsible science.

More information: Open Science - Radboudumc or contact dr. Kim Wever

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