Submission & Funding Guidelines

This form should be used by individuals (or research groups) for funding of original evidence based research meeting the described objectives of investigating the prevention, assessment and/or treatment of fear, anxiety, stress and/or pain associated with veterinary health care. At least one member of the research team should be a Fear Free Certified Professional.

Individual/Research Group Grant Funding

Grants will be awarded approximately (3) times per year for pilot studies and novel small-scale projects that should provide information of immediate practical value or opportunity for impact to veterinary practitioners

1. All applications that meet Fear Free eligibility criteria will be assessed by our scientific review committee on the quality and originality of the proposed research, significance and relevance to Fear Free, study design, and the achievability of the objectives with the funds provided over a timespan of up to 6 to 12 months. Typically, the top-ranking project from amongst all applications received at each posted deadline will be awarded a grant of up to $2,500 USD. In the case of a tie, additional information related to the research project may be requested by the review committee.  Award recipients will be announced within 60 days following the submission deadline. 
2. Submissions should be concise, within the suggested word limits, while providing the required information for review, including project title, clearly stated research question, objectives, qualifications of the researchers, study design, and expected outcome.
3. Proposals will not be considered that are incomplete, do not meet funding criteria, or require funding in excess of the maximum award amount of $2,500 USD.
4. Research should be affiliated with a host institution with approval by the Institution’s Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or equivalent oversight committee. Projects that are not affiliated with a host institution with an animal use oversight committee will be considered only if they do not require handling or treatment of animals, other than observation during the provision of standard veterinary care and with informed client consent.