ASPCA Announces Nearly $400,000 in Grant Funding to Support Cutting-Edge Animal Welfare Research

NEW YORK, NY – The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) has announced $390,000 in grant funding that will be available to U.S. and Canadian organizations to support research that either directly or systemically has the potential to benefit animals, with a focus on projects that examine access to veterinary care, applied behavior, cruelty, and psychological trauma. As the nation’s leading voice for animals for more than 156 years, the ASPCA is deeply committed to improving the lives of at-risk dogs, cats, equines, and farm animals across the United States, and research is a key element to understanding, informing, and taking action to address or improve animal welfare.

“The ASPCA was founded on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment by humans, and fostering high-quality research is critical to understanding how we can most quickly and effectively make that belief a reality,” said Maya Gupta, senior director of research at the ASPCA. “Many animal welfare issues are unsolved and underrepresented in both research and practice, but the research funded by this grant program helps us better understand how to tackle some of the biggest issues facing animals in our society.”

Millions of animals across the U.S. face challenges to their wellbeing each year, from cruelty to homelessness to lack of access to veterinary care. The ASPCA is reimagining how the animal welfare and veterinary fields can best serve pets, owners, and communities by dedicating our resources and expertise to the animals who need it most. To address some of the most urgent issues facing the animal welfare community, the ASPCA is seeking proposals for Research Grants in the following categories:

• Psychological Trauma Research: Seeks to support research aimed at developing or validating behavioral and biological markers of mental suffering due to cruelty and neglect. The maximum funding for each individual grant in this category is $20,000.
• Applied Behavior Research: Seeks to support research that advances knowledge in preventing and responding to behavior problems in shelter populations. The maximum funding for each individual grant in this category is $40,000.
• Access to Veterinary Care (AVC) Research: With support from Maddie's Fund^®, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals, this grant seeks to support research that advances knowledge in expanding affordable, accessible veterinary care and develops mechanisms for AVC implementation across the veterinary field. The maximum funding for each individual grant in this category is $50,000.
• Cruelty Research: Seeks to increase the effectiveness of cruelty prevention and response through research that will advance anti-cruelty policy and program initiatives and strengthen animal cruelty awareness, prevention, and response among key audiences. The maximum funding for each individual grant in this category is $50,000.

Since 2001, the ASPCA has provided more than $200 million in grant funding to over 3,000 organizations and programs nationwide dedicated to helping vulnerable and victimized animals. These grants help mission-aligned organizations fund essential lifesaving services ranging from adoptions and fostering programs, veterinary care, capacity building, transportation efforts, pet owner assistance and more. ASPCA research grants specifically have supported more than 30 organizations nationwide in conducting groundbreaking and thought-provoking research, with projects from past recipients that include: Examining the Efficacy of Video Telemedicine for Providing Virtual Health and Behavior Care for Cats (University of California, Davis); A Preliminary Investigation of Animal Cruelty Reported During the Assessment of Family Maltreatment Incidents (New York University); and A Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate a Low-cost Treatment for Cranial Cruciate Ligament Disease  (Western University of Health Sciences).

“ASPCA research funding has given us the framework and support to pursue novel ideas to help answer crucial questions surrounding access to care and providing effective alternatives to care that will help animals live longer, healthier lives with their families,” said Elizabeth Rozanski, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM, Professor at Tufts University and 2020 research grant recipient.

Applications for the 2023 ASPCA Research Grants will be accepted from April 3-July 31, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET. Proposals can come from investigators or research teams affiliated with U.S. public or private entities such as universities, colleges, government organizations, and other organizations. This opportunity is also available to Canadian organizations that can demonstrate the applicability of the research to improve the welfare of animals in the U.S. Proposals will be evaluated based on their significance and relevance, approach, potential impact, generalizability, credentials, and budget.

For more information about the eligibility requirements or to submit a proposal, please visit www.aspcapro.org/researchgrants.

If your organization is interested in research but does not currently have the capacity to conduct formal research on its own, the ASPCA may be able to offer networking or guidance. To learn about ways to pursue your research ideas, please email us or visit www.aspcapro.org/grants to explore other grant opportunities.