Equine Behavior Grants- Pilot Study

Overview

Request For Proposals: Equine Behavior- Behavior and welfare of wild or domesticated horses

This grant is being funded by Dr. Wendy Koch, who has supported Morris Animal Foundation for 30 years, making her first gift to support animal health studies in 1991. Dr. Koch was born loving horses. She became interested in animal behavior at an early age, pursuing her undergraduate studies in that field. Dr. Koch qualified as a veterinarian in 1981 and began a career in animal welfare with the federal government in 1990. She became board certified in animal welfare in 2016. Dr. Koch has closely followed equine behavior and welfare research and regretted that specific funding available in these fields has been minimal. Working with Morris Animal Foundation, she decided to create a fund with such a focus.

We are pleased to announce we are accepting pilot proposals for the study of equine behavior/welfare.

* The focus should be on improving the lives of horses by increasing our understanding of the behavioral domain. This includes areas such as cognition, learning, stereotypes, separation anxiety, affiliative behavior toward (bonding with) humans, the effects of equine temperament on welfare, and equine psychopharmacology. Projects using behavioral measurements simply as a tool to address non-behavioral hypotheses are not of interest.
* Pilot study proposals should be aimed at generating data to prove the viability of a novel approach or idea.
* The project may involve domesticated or wild horses.

Funding

The maximum project duration is 12 months, and the budget cannot exceed $20,000 USD. Indirect costs are not permitted for this RFP.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* Competitive applicants will have a record of research expertise demonstrated through peer reviewed publications.
* A maximum of one application as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Investigator in response to this RFP is permitted.
* Must adhere to Morris Animal Foundation Policies: 
* Health Study Policy: Projects must adhere to the Foundation’s Health Study Policy for Animals Involved in Research found here. For this RFP, the Foundation will not fund projects that include euthanasia of animals for research purposes, nor source data and/or samples from such projects. Proposals recommended for funding by scientific reviewers are reviewed separately by animal welfare and ethics experts prior to funding.
* Parachute Science: Projects that include international collaborations should address international scientific engagement and benefits and include a named Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator in the country where the research will occur. The Foundation endeavors to achieve our objectives through ethical pathways and with the clear intention of inclusivity, diversity, and the elimination of the practice of parachute/colonial science.
* COVID-19 Considerations: Research plans must include mitigation strategies for operational risks
* posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Alternative strategies for travel restrictions, pandemic related mandates, supply shortages, etc., should be included in the proposal.
* Environmental Policy: Consideration should be given to reducing detrimental effects of research projects on the environment. Travel requests should be limited and well justified with respect to the project objectives. We encourage means of transportation with the lowest possible carbon emissions.

Ineligibility

* Resubmissions of prior proposals to the Foundation are not permitted without explicit permission.