Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants 2023

Applications are open for our 2023 Challenge Grants.

Information on grant eligibility, guidelines, criteria, and the application process can be found below.

Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants support researchers exploring critical research questions that will unlock new avenues of wild animal welfare research and are not prioritized by other funders. Each round of Challenge Grants calls for projects within one or more specific themes. These flagship projects should be led by experienced principal investigators and demonstrate a high degree of relevance to high priority research areas, novelty, and methodological rigor.

• Table of Content
• About Wild Animal Initiative
• Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants
• Aim and Benefits of Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants
• Requirements for Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Wild Animal Initiative

We’re advancing a scientific field dedicated to understanding wild animal welfare. Although the vast majority of animals live in the wild, we know relatively little about their welfare. To understand the unique threats to wild animals’ well-being as individuals and figure out how people can safely and effectively intervene, we need much more research. That’s why our mission is to advance the field of wild animal welfare science.  A discipline focused on wild animal welfare will open doors to new scientific paradigms and ultimately help wild animals. We see an ex... continue reading

Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants

Aim and Benefits of Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants

Grant size:

• $30,000 — $200,000 USD total fo up to 5 years

Requirements for Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants Qualification

• Challenge Grant projects must be led by an experienced principal investigator, but can include financial support for students or other early-career collaborators.

• Eligible projects include those that are standalone, or those that add a wild animal welfare component to an existing non-Wild Animal Initiative funded project to broaden its scope.

• Projects must be led by a principal investigator who is affiliated with a university or other research institution (e.g. a government agency).

• Projects must be led by or include collaborators who are residents of all countries where field work will take place. If a project is managed by an NGO, that NGO must be registered in the country where field work will take place.

• We prioritize funding for direct research costs (e.g. supplies, materials), though we do fund other expense areas (e.g. stipends, salaries, capital equipment) if they are fully justified relative to the project goals. Further details on what is eligible for funding can be found in our FAQs. We will not reject a proposal based solely on budget without first asking applicants to consider modifications, but applicants should limit their requests to what is reasonably needed to complete the project.

What is not eligible:

• We do not provide funding for indirect costs or institutional overhead.

• We are unable to sponsor visas, so we generally cannot fund work that would be carried out in the United States by a non-US resident.

• We are unable to fund research carried out in nations subject to sanctions by the United States (e.g. Iran, North Korea, Russia) or researchers who are residents of those nations.

• We generally do not fund more than one active project being led by the same Principal Investigator at the same time.

• Projects focused exclusively on a single welfare domain.

• Projects that do not characterize the subjective experience (welfare) of animals or do not treat it as their objective.

• Projects focused exclusively on wildlife conservation.

Proposal guidelines:

• Proposals must clearly explain how the project is relevant to wild animals’ welfare, as defined by Wild Animal Initiative.

• Proposals must clearly identify and explain the project’s relevance to one or more of the themes featured in the call.

• Projects must adhere to Wild Animal Initiative’s guidance for animals involved in research, if your project will involve any work with animals, in the field or the lab. Please be aware we are less likely to select a proposed project that would cause any harm to animals. If invasive methods are to be used, welfare concerns should be elaborated in the animal methods form and the methods should be justified with evidence showing why the use of alternatives would not be possible.

• Proposals must clearly justify the study approach chosen, including identifying the resources available for the study and the expertise of team members.

• Proposals must clearly describe the amount of time required from each project team member and confirm that they are able to make that commitment.

If you are unsure whether your project fits within our scope, please review our FAQs.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants

Selection criteria

• The approximate number of animals who could potentially benefit from the results of a project.

Scope

• The likelihood that a project will lead to an improvement in wild animal welfare now or in the future, and the magnitude of that potential improvement.

Impact

• The extent to which a project is likely to accelerate or inspire other research or action in support of wild animal welfare.

Engagement

• The distinctiveness of a project’s relevance to wild animal welfare, such that it would be unlikely to attract funding from another organization.

Neglectedness

• The likelihood that a project could be carried out as described and accomplish its objectives.

Feasibility

• The risk of a project causing harm to human or non-human animals through its methods.

Research ethics

• Given two projects of approximately equal overall merit in terms of the preceding criteria, we will give preference to the one with the lower budget.

Cost-effectiveness

Application process:

• Applicant submits short Expression of Interest (EOI) (preview), proposing a project that explicitly combines animal welfare and the study of wild animals.

• EOI is reviewed for eligibility and relevance by the Wild Animal Initiative Grants team.

• If the EOI is shortlisted, the applicant is invited to develop a full proposal.

• The full proposal is externally reviewed by project-relevant experts.

• The proposal is reviewed by specialists in animal care and ethics.

• The proposal is reviewed by Wild Animal Initiative technical experts.

• The lead applicant may be asked to provide clarification or make modifications in response to reviewer feedback.

• The review team discusses shortlisted proposals and makes final selection of the most promising projects.

• Final decisions are shared with applicants and announced on our website. Decisions are generally made within 6 months of the EOI deadline.

What to expect as a grantee

• Grantee signs a communications agreement.

• If necessary, grantee obtains permission from Wild Animal Initiative for any major discretional changes to the project (e.g. replacing key activities or increasing the number of animals sampled).

• Grantee provides Wild Animal Initiative with annual reports on the progress of the project, including publications, presentations, and any unforeseen changes.

• Grantee provides Wild Animal Initiative with a final report within three months of the project’s completion date.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Applications are open for our 2023 Challenge Grants.

Expressions of interest are due:

December 1, 2023

Themes:

• Welfare impacts of parasites and pathogens

• Validating indicators of affective valence

APPLY HERE!!!!

For more details visit: Wild Animal Initiative’s website.