[Wild Animal Initiative](https://www.wildanimalinitiative.org/grants/challenge-grants)

November 14, 2025 (Expression of Interest)

Up to $10,000 total per project | Project duration up to 2 years

Supports early-career or established researchers developing new ideas or adding wild animal welfare research components to existing projects.

No indirect costs or institutional overhead allowed; projects must focus on welfare, not conservation.

--- ## Description Wild Animal Initiative’s Seed Grants program provides small-scale funding for researchers to explore new ideas or integrate wild animal welfare questions into ongoing projects. The program is designed for early-career scientists, postdocs, PhD students, and established principal investigators who are new to wild animal welfare research. Projects must align with Wild Animal Initiative’s research priorities, emphasizing cost-effectiveness and activities uniquely relevant to wild animal welfare. Priority is given to projects with potential for high impact, transferability, and broad benefit to abundant species. Seed Grants support projects that address priority topics 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. Proposals are evaluated based on impact, engagement, novelty, feasibility, research ethics, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with these themes. --- ## Due Dates - **Expression of Interest (EOI) deadline:** November 14, 2025 - Applicants notified of EOI outcome: December 8, 2025 - Invited full proposals due: January 30, 2026 - Funding decisions: May 2026 --- ## Funding Amount - **Maximum award:** Up to $10,000 USD per project - **Project duration:** Up to 2 years - Funding can cover direct research costs, stipends, salaries, and equipment (with limitations) - No funding for indirect costs or institutional overhead --- ## Eligibility - Open to early-career researchers (postdocs, PhD students) and established PIs new to wild animal welfare - PI must be affiliated with a university, research institution, or government agency - Applicants from any country eligible to receive US donor funding may apply (see [US sanctions list](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_sanctions#Countries)) - Project must be led by or include collaborators who are residents in all countries where fieldwork occurs; NGOs must be registered in the country of fieldwork - Only one active project per PI at a time - Not eligible: projects focused solely on conservation, indirect costs, or those conducted in sanctioned countries --- ## Application Process 1. **Expression of Interest (EOI):** Submit a brief online form outlining your project idea, objectives, relevance to wild animal welfare, and alignment with priority topics. [Preview the EOI form](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BZjpXoFDQq5TGTvzqiyjZ904k64K4mf4/view?usp=sharing) 2. **Review:** EOIs are screened for eligibility and relevance. Around 10% are invited to submit a full proposal. 3. **Full Proposal:** Invited applicants submit a detailed proposal, animal methods form, and CVs. 4. **Review:** Proposals are evaluated by external experts and animal care/ethics specialists. 5. **Selection:** Final decisions are made within 6 months of the EOI deadline. 6. **Award:** Grantees sign a communications agreement and provide annual and final reports. [Apply online](https://airtable.com/appjrrQyWM0IvyudQ/pagXulMLZuX1eArWC/form) --- ## Additional Information - Projects may be standalone or add a welfare component to existing research. - Funding is available for direct research costs, stipends, and equipment (capital equipment should not exceed 25% of the budget). - Projects should focus on welfare as defined by Wild Animal Initiative: the aggregate quality of an individual’s subjective experiences. - Projects using invasive or lethal methods are generally not funded; strong justification is required if such methods are proposed. - No support for visa sponsorship or projects requiring work in the US by non-US residents. - Projects focusing exclusively on rare or endangered species are less likely to be funded unless there is high transferability of findings. --- ## External Links - [Seed Grants Program Details](https://www.wildanimalinitiative.org/grants/seed-grants) - [2025 Call for Proposals (Full Announcement)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/14eNFRnw5z6s4d7kpmwAi-bBLQmQuvCZI94VOcDMxvM4/edit?usp=sharing) - [Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.wildanimalinitiative.org/grants/grants-faq) - [Wild Animal Initiative Main Grants Page](https://www.wildanimalinitiative.org/grants) - [Apply Online (Airtable Form)](https://airtable.com/appjrrQyWM0IvyudQ/pagXulMLZuX1eArWC/form) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact | |-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | General inquiries, feedback | [grants@wildanimalinitiative.org](mailto:grants@wildanimalinitiative.org) | For further details, consult the [Seed Grants FAQ](https://www.wildanimalinitiative.org/grants/grants-faq) or reach out to the program team.

Seed Grants - Wild Animal Initiative

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