Applications Invited for Wild Animal Initiative’s Challenge Grants

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About the Organization

Our mission is to accelerate science that helps wild animals.

Although the vast majority of animals live in the wild, we know very little about their quality of life or how to improve it. Scientific progress is desperately needed, in order for us to understand which factors cause the most suffering for wild animals and how people can address those factors responsibly and effectively. That’s why we’re working to accelerate progress in the emerging field of wild animal welfare science.

About the Grants

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.

Grant size

• $50,000 — $100,000 USD total

Duration

• Up to 5 years

Eligibility

• Challenge Grant projects must be led by an experienced principal investigator, but can include financial support for students or other early-career collaborators. When submitting an expression of interest for a Challenge Grant, applicants may request to be considered for a WAI Fellowship, which offers mentorship and a supplementary stipend to postdoctoral researchers and PhD students pursuing a long-term career in wild animal welfare research. The process and parameters for 2024 fellowships will be shared with those invited to apply at the full proposal stage. 
• 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.

How to Apply

• Proposals must clearly identify and explain the project’s relevance to one or more of the themes featured in the call.
• Proposals should clearly explain the project’s relevance to multiple domains of welfare.
• 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 distressing 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. We generally will not fund projects that use destructive sampling methods. If you believe that the objectives of your study cannot be accomplished without killing or physically harming animals and you cannot identify alternative methods, please reach out and we can discuss what options may be available to you.
• 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.

Expressions of interest are due Nov. 1, 2024.

Read the full announcement here for more information. We encourage all applicants to contact us at any stage of the proposal development process to request feedback on their project ideas or draft proposals.

Apply here

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