Veterinarians with experience in medicine, animal sciences and public health add unique perspectives to solving critical food and agriculture challenges. To support the development of future veterinary researchers, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) are seeking applications for FFAR’s Veterinary Student Research Fellowships (FFAR Vet Fellows). This fellowship supports veterinary student research at the interface of food-animal production.
Veterinary science can be used to solve challenges affecting nutritional security, environmental sustainability and public health. However, most fellowships available to veterinary students are limited to traditional biomedical research with limited opportunity to conduct research outside that scope.
To fill this gap, the FFAR Vet Fellows was established in 2018 to support veterinary student research in areas ranging from climate change to pandemic prevention and prepare the fellows for multi-faceted careers in science and public service. FFAR and AAVMC integrated the fellowship with existing summer student research programs which culminates in the Veterinary Scholars Symposium at the end of each summer.
The 2022 FFAR Vet Fellows program is providing stipend support for up to 15 students per year to perform research including but not limited to the following topics: agricultural economics; nutritional security and food access; environmental sustainability of agriculture; advanced technologies; zoonotic diseases and pandemic prevention; and antimicrobial stewardship.
This fellowship is open to domestic and international students currently enrolled in a DVM or VMD degree program who are conducting research with a qualified mentor at an AAVMC member institution. Students do not need to have prior research experience and matching funds are not required for this program.
The deadline to submit applications is March 30, 2022. As an update to this year’s program, program directors at Colleges of Veterinary Medicine are not required to submit student nominations and there is no restriction on the number of applicants per institution. Detailed information about this program and the application process can be found on the 2022 FFAR Vet Fellows Open Opportunity webpage.