Validation Grants - Wild Animal Initiative
Validation Grants - Wild Animal Initiative supports researchers testing indicators of wild animals’ subjective welfare, helping establish reliable measures for future research and interventions.
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 six months to three years
Summary: Supports research testing whether proposed indicators reliably reflect the welfare of wild animals.
Key Information: The principal investigator must be affiliated with a university or other research institution.
Description
Wild Animal Initiative’s Validation Grants fund research that tests whether proposed indicators reliably reflect animals’ subjective welfare. Projects measure indicators under conditions expected to affect welfare positively or negatively, then examine whether the indicators respond consistently. Negative results, including inconsistent responses, are valuable.
The program aims to establish validated indicators for particular species and systems, enabling further wild animal welfare research and, ultimately, interventions. Studies involving captive animals can qualify when the indicators and validation conditions make the findings likely to transfer to wild individuals of the same or closely related species. Projects must focus on indicator validation rather than objectives unnecessary to that work.
