Welfare Ecology Grants
Welfare Ecology Grants support researchers studying how ecological factors affect wild animals’ subjective well-being, building evidence to guide future interventions and policies that improve welfare.
Funder: Wild Animal Initiative
Due Dates: October 31, 2026 (Expression of Interest) | January 30, 2027 (Invited full proposals)
Funding Amounts: Up to $200,000 USD total for projects lasting up to 3 years
Summary: Supports research into how ecological factors causally affect wild animal welfare and could inform future interventions.
Key Information: Projects must be led by a principal investigator affiliated with a research institution.
Description
Wild Animal Initiative’s Welfare Ecology Grants support research that identifies ecological factors influencing the subjective well-being of wild animals. The goal is to understand causal relationships—particularly factors that could be changed to improve welfare—so future research, interventions, or policies can benefit wild animals.
The program encourages work that assesses or models welfare across ecological networks, including interactions among species and indirect effects. Projects can use field, laboratory, or desk-based approaches if they clearly establish their relevance to wild animal welfare. Previously validated welfare indicators are strongly encouraged. Wild Animal Initiative evaluates whether a project can clarify the relationship between welfare and other variables and create a pathway toward future projects and interventions.
