Discovery Grants - Wild Animal Initiative
Discovery Grants fund innovative research to expand scientific knowledge of wild animal welfare, prioritizing method validation and neglected topics unlikely to receive mainstream support.
Funder: Wild Animal Initiative
Due Dates (Anticipated): March 2026 (EOI) | June 2026 (Full proposal)
Funding Amounts: $10,000–$50,000 total per project; up to 3 years duration.
Summary: Supports innovative research expanding the evidence base for wild animal welfare, with an emphasis on method validation and projects unlikely to secure mainstream funding.
Key Information: No indirect/overhead costs covered; projects must minimize harm and include local collaborators for fieldwork.
Description
The Discovery Grants program from Wild Animal Initiative funds research projects that expand the scientific understanding of wild animal welfare. The program particularly values projects that validate or apply welfare assessment methods, generate novel insights, and address neglected or underfunded research areas. Priority is given to research that is unlikely to attract mainstream funding and that aligns with Wild Animal Initiative’s key themes, such as welfare indicator validation, interspecific interactions, population dynamics, cause-specific mortality, landscape ecology, cascade effects, welfare interventions, juvenile welfare, invertebrate welfare, and fish welfare.
Projects must be led by principal investigators affiliated with recognized research institutions or government agencies. The program encourages collaborations with local researchers in all countries where fieldwork is conducted. Proposals are evaluated for their scope, feasibility, novelty, impact, engagement, neglectedness, research ethics, and cost-effectiveness. The program strongly emphasizes minimizing harm to animals and ethical research practices.
