The LUSH Prize: Awarding Individuals, Groups and Initiatives Working to End the Use of Animals in Experiments

DUBAI/ GULF TIME

The idea for Lush Prize originated from the Lush founders’ frustration at the entrenched nature of animal testing. They felt it was taking too long for cruelty-free alternatives to be adopted into the mainstream. An idea emerged: a £250,000 pot of money every year which would fund a series of initiatives working to end the use of animals in experiments.
The Lush Prize was launched in partnership with Ethical Consumer in 2012, becoming the largest prize fund in the non-animal testing sector. In 2018 it began awarding £330,000 and is now a biennial Prize.
As a truly global prize, it has supported scientists and activists in countries around the world including China, Kenya, Iran, Ukraine and India, New Zealand, Brazil, USA and across Europe. Lush aims to support the most progressive work in the field, ensuring animal-free research continues with the highest level of impact possible. We do this by providing resources to projects that fall into five categories:

• The Science Prize and Young Researcher Prize are designed to advance research into alternative non-animal tests.
• The Training Prize is designed to resource projects training scientists or regulators in non-animal methods.
• The Public Awareness and Lobbying Prizes are designed to keep up the pressure to make sure regulation is appropriate and updated to reflect advances in 21st-Century Toxicology.

As well as these categories, if there is a breakthrough in 21st Century Toxicology – the area which holds out most hope for a ‘Eureka’ moment leading to the replacement of animal tests – a Black Box Prize can be awarded. This could be up to the full prize amount, and this was first awarded in 2015.
There are five main prize categories: Science, Training, Public Awareness, Lobbying, and Young Researcher.
In addition, there are three Recognition Awards, for Political Achievement, Health Charity Projects, and Major Science Collaboration. The panel of judges will also be awarded the Andrew Tyler Award for outstanding contribution towards ending animal testing.
Nominations for the Lush Prize 2024 are now open and will close on Friday 1st December 2023 at midnight (UK time). The 2024 Lush Prize Conference will be held on Tuesday 14th November 2023 as an online event. Registration is free and full details can be found here.
Learn more about The Lush Prize winners via its website. You can also find Lush Prize on Twitter.