Creation of Office of Research Innovation, Validation and Application heralds a future where scientific advancement no longer depends on animal suffering

WASHINGTON (June 15, 2026)—Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund, issued the following statement on the National Institutes of Health's formal establishment of the Office of Research Innovation, Validation and Application. The creation of an office dedicated to advancing the development and implementation of human-relevant research methods to replace animal use promises to accelerate the transition away from methods that cause suffering and harm to animals.

Kathleen Conlee, vice president for animal research issues at Humane World for Animals, said:

“This is exactly the kind of forward-looking investment in scientific progress for which we have been  advocating for decades. With the creation of ORIVA, NIH has signaled its understanding that advancing public health in the middle decades of the 21st century will require building the infrastructure needed to support modern, human-relevant research methods. In the past, biomedical research has relied on animal models that often fail to predict human outcomes. Now, new technologies like organ-on-a-chip systems, advanced cell models and artificial intelligence tools are creating opportunities to study disease and evaluate treatments in ways that are more relevant to human biology. By providing dedicated leadership, coordination and support for these approaches, ORIVA can help move promising technologies from the laboratory into widespread use.”

Tracie Letterman, vice president for federal affairs at Humane World Action Fund, said:

“The creation of NIH’s ORIVA, to speed the development and use of human-based technologies, is a significant milestone and reflects years of work by Humane World Action Fund, congressional champions and agency leaders to modernize medical research. We have long called for stronger coordination across the federal government to ensure that agencies share expertise and avoid duplicative efforts as they move away from outdated animal testing requirements. ORIVA can expand the interagency coordination that is so vital to the evaluation, validation and implementation of new approaches to biological medicine and safety testing. That kind of coordination is essential to better science, faster results and greater accountability.”

Since last year, the federal government has made a series of announcements of its intent to move away from animal testing, including the NIH’s decision to reduce reliance on animals in biomedical research and increase investment in critical infrastructure. The Environmental Protection Agency has also recommitted to ending mammal testing by 2035 and recently introduced a streamlined process for companies to submit approaches that do not use animals for agency-approved use in their chemical and pesticide assessments. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration has been providing guidance to industry on the use of non-animal approaches for pharmaceuticals and reducing testing on non-human primates for monoclonal antibody therapies.

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