Workshop

Call for Abstracts: Workshop on Validating Welfare Indicators in Invertebrates 

Newcastle University, October 23, 2026

Newcastle University, the Insect Welfare Research Society, and the Arthropoda Foundation invite abstracts for a one-day, in-person workshop on the validation of welfare indicators in invertebrate animals. The workshop will be held at Newcastle University on October 23, 2026.

Aim and scope

Welfare science depends on indicators—physiological, behavioral, resource, or otherwise—that are expected to relate to the internal state of the animal. In vertebrate welfare science, indicators are often subject to careful validation: their construct validity, convergent validity with other welfare measures, and predictive validity with respect to outcomes of interest are all assessed. Invertebrate welfare science is at a much earlier stage. Many indicators in current use have been adapted from vertebrate work, inferred from analogous physiology or behavior, or proposed on theoretical grounds, but few, if any, have undergone systematic validation in the species to which they are applied. Moreover, the pathways best suited for obtaining validity in insects rely on cognitive paradigms that have not yet been adapted for use in these species, not least because there has been so little cognitive research on them. How should we go about thinking through the project of validation in species where the tools for validation are so minimal?

This workshop is intended to advance research that responds to this situation, organized as a series of structured conversations around key themes. We are interested in discussing whether given indicators measure what they are taken to measure in particular invertebrate species, whether they covary with other indicators thought to track the same welfare states, and whether they predict outcomes that matter for welfare. We are also interested in having methodological and conceptual discussions that clarify what validation should look like for these taxa, identify methodological obstacles, and point toward designs for new empirical studies.

The workshop is open to work on any invertebrate taxa, though we anticipate that a lot of the conversation will concern farmed insects (e.g., black soldier fly larvae, yellow mealworms, crickets, honeybees) and decapod crustaceans (especially farmed shrimp), which are the focus of substantial current research and policy interest and may present unique challenges for validation. The workshop is aimed primarily at invertebrate biologists and at animal welfare scientists working on or interested in invertebrate taxa. Researchers from adjacent fields whose work bears on these questions are also welcome.

To apply

To apply, please submit an abstract of up to 1,000 words to via this form by August 15, 2026. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by August 31, 2026. We welcome abstracts on topics including:

• Construct validation of physiological, behavioral, or environmental indicators in specific invertebrate species

• Convergent validity studies comparing multiple putative indicators of the same welfare state

• Predictive validity studies linking candidate indicators to longer-term welfare outcomes

• Critical assessments of indicators imported from vertebrate welfare science

• Methodological proposals for validation studies adapted to invertebrate biology and husbandry contexts

• Financial support

Lodging and meals during the workshop will be covered for all accepted participants. 

Questions

Please contact: Bob Fischer, fischer@arthropoda.org.

Submit your abstract >>