Training

The university regularly co-organises training sessions on animal experimentation and welfare for research staff, enabling them to design and perform experiments on small animals by respecting strict ethical and regulatory principles. Training is mandatory for any person working in the animal facilities. Those training sessions correspond to the requirements defined by the EU Directive 2010/63/EU and the Règlement Grand-Ducal of the 11th January 2013. They follow the guidelines developed by the EU for a common education and training framework. Certificates are delivered at the end of each training.

Mandatory trainings to perform animal experimentation

To be able to perform animal experiments, the following trainings are mandatory:

1. EU – Function A training
   If you hold the EU – Function Training from another country, please check its validity with the university veterinarian. You might simply have to attend the module on National and European legislation.
   
2. Personalised practical skills training and assessment
   
3. Continuous professional development (CPD) trainings
   
   

Mandatory trainings to design and plan animal experimentation

To be able to design animal experimental projects and act as a project leader, the following trainings are mandatory:

1. EU – Function A training
2. EU – Function B training
3. CPD trainings
   
   

EU – Function A and Function B trainings

These trainings are comprised of e-learning modules, theoretical in-class teaching courses as well as practical workshops, and are followed by a written final exam. University staff is informed by email about upcoming sessions. If you are interested in one of these trainings, you can contact the training committee by email: lasc-members[at]uni.lu. Price per function and species: 200 euros for internal participants (University and LIH) and 600 euros for external participants.

• EU – Function A – Mouse and/or Zebrafish
  This training is intended for research staff carrying out procedures on animals. It concentrates on care, handling health and welfare of the animals as well as on 3R-principles and ethics. Completion of the training gives access to personalised practical training and is a prerequisite to conduct animal experimentation. The Function A training is organised every year between October and November (e-learning in October, in class teaching, practical teaching and final exam in November).
  
  
• EU – Function B
  This training is intended for researchers who do not only perform experiments but also design procedures and projects and submit them for ethical approval. Here, a special focus is put on ethical aspects, the implementation of the 3Rs, including alternatives to animals research, statistics possibilities to refine procedures as well as legal aspects and how to perform a harm-benefit-analysis. The Function B training is organised every two years during spring. The next one will be in spring 2026.
  
  
• Module – National and European legislation
  This training is intended for research staff that already have a Function A Training in another country. They need to complete this module to get to know the national regulations on animal experimentation. The Module is organised in the framework of the Function A training taking place every year between October and November (e-learning in October, in class teaching and final exam in November).
  
  

Practical Skills Training and Assessment

To be able to perform animals experiments after obtaining the Function A training, each researcher must undergo further practical skills training and a final assessment for specific procedures they need to perform on animals. This is to ensure excellent skills and knowledge when performing procedures on animals in order to secure high standards in animal welfare. If you need practical skills training or an assessment of the practical skills, please open a ticket.

Continuous professional development (CPD) webinars

Continuing education is key in animal research. These CPD webinars help researchers to stay up to date, to learn the latest best practices and to get ready to implement them at the university. A minimum of 4 hours of CPD webinars per year are mandatory. Researchers working with rodent should upload the CPD certificates in Tick@Lab. Researchers working with zebrafish should send them to the manager of the Aquatic Platform.

Upcoming CPD options can be found here: (links coming soon)

• April 2025
• May 2025

Slides and Recordings of past CPDs organised by the university: (links coming soon)