ARDF Annual Open Grant Program
Forecasted
ARDF Annual Open Grant Program supports researchers developing alternatives in biomedical research, product testing, and education to advance science while reducing or replacing animal use.
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Funder: Alternatives Research and Development Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (LOI) | May 2027 (Invited full application)
Funding Amounts: Up to $50,000, including indirect costs, for a one-year project
Summary: Supports alternative methods in research, testing, and education that advance science while reducing or replacing animal use.
Key Information: Projects cannot use intact non-human animals or monoclonal antibodies produced by in vivo methods.
Description
The Alternatives Research and Development Foundation (ARDF) Annual Open Grant Program funds research developing alternative methods to advance science and reduce or replace animal use. It supports work across biomedical research, product testing, and education, with emphasis on scientific merit, feasibility, and practical potential to reduce animal use in the near future. Nonprofit, nongovernmental educational or research institutions worldwide may apply, with preference given to U.S. institutions.
The program favors in vitro or in silico approaches using human cells or data. Recent funded projects include human skin co-cultures, engineered skeletal muscle, multi-organ-on-a-chip systems, and animal-free peptide hydrogels. Other awards support human models for CAR T-cell therapy, Alzheimer’s drug safety, and tuberculosis research, illustrating the program’s interest in human-relevant experimental systems and alternatives to animal-derived materials.
