These projects were carefully selected by AWF's grants committee, composed of leading experts in animal welfare, veterinary science and related field professionals. But what about the ones that were rejected? Below are 3 common mistakes the grants committee has seen over the years, and the reasons why your applications might be rejected:
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🐷Failing to include animal welfare in your proposal: it is easy to assess welfare badly or not to assess it at all! We cannot fund proposals that are purely about health or disease, ethics, husbandry etc. You can find a definition of animal welfare here: https://www.animalwelfarefoundation.org.uk/research/what-is-animal-welfare/
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🔬Your proposal is not scientifically robust: make sure you answer these questions when preparing your proposal. How are you measuring welfare?, What are you comparing (eg: alternative treatments, with a control? Variation across a population?), Do you have a hypothesis or is your study purely descriptive?, What sample size will you be using?, How will you minimize bias? Have a look at our guide on assessing welfare here: http://www.animalwelfarefoundation.org.uk/research/assessing-animal-welfare/
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🐾 The welfare issue you want to investigate is not relevant to the veterinary profession; your research project should directly be connected to or have an impact on the field of veterinary medicine and practice. It may be helpful to read the results of our Delphi research project on animal welfare priority issues of managed animals in the UK, as well as the BVA’s priority animal welfare problems.
