First Awards
The Morris Animal Foundation’s First Award grant funds early-career researchers for mentored, impactful animal health and welfare research projects with strong scientific merit.
Funder: Morris Animal Foundation
Due Dates: October 8, 2025 (Feline Health Full Application) | February 11, 2026 (Wildlife Health & Welfare Pre-proposal) | May 27, 2026 (Wildlife Health & Welfare Invited Full Proposal)
Funding Amounts: First Award: up to $120,000 total for up to 24 months; see guidelines for other mechanisms.
Summary: Supports early-career investigators in launching mentored research programs to advance animal health and welfare.
Key Information: Applicants may only submit one proposal as PI per cycle; strict eligibility and animal welfare policies apply.
Description
The Morris Animal Foundation offers funding through its First Award mechanism to help early-career researchers establish independent, mentored research programs in animal health. Projects must be hypothesis-driven, humane, and demonstrate high scientific merit and potential for significant impact on animal health or welfare. The First Award is evaluated using a common scoring rubric alongside the Foundation’s Established Investigator and Pilot Study mechanisms.
