Mapping 3Rs and NAM research and innovation projects funded through European framework programmes since 2007

The development of new approach methodologies (NAMs) is increasingly enabling the replacement and reduction of animal use in research, complementing the ethical framework provided by the 3Rs (replacement, refinement, and reduction) of animal research. The European Commission has supported these approaches by embedding 3R requirements in policy frameworks and providing dedicated funding for 3Rs/NAMs-related research. However, a systematic and comprehensive overview on European Union (EU) research funding of these projects is lacking. In this study, projects funded under Framework Programme 7 (2007-2013), Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) and Horizon Europe (2021-2027, extracted until March 2025) were analysed using the EU Community Research and Development Information Service database (CORDIS). A 2-tiered artificial intelligence-based data retrieval approach was applied, combining supervised text classification and semantic search followed by expert review, yielding a total of 539 relevant projects. Approximately 40% of these projects were toxicology-related, while the remainder pertained to areas such as disease research or technology scaling. Across the portfolio, oncology and neuroscience emerged as major application areas, with a strong representation of in vitro methodologies, including 3D cell culture methods and engineered models such as organs-on-chip, alongside in silico technologies. In terms of country participation and collaboration, Western European countries occupied central positions in obtaining funding and leading research efforts in this field. Overall, these findings demonstrate that EU framework programmes have provided substantial and sustained support for 3Rs/NAMs research and innovation, while also highlighting thematic and geographic imbalances that can inform future research and policy initiatives.