FFAR Veterinary Student Research Fellowship

The FFAR Vet Fellows program supports both quantitative and qualitative student research including, but not limited, to the following:

• Agricultural economics, socioeconomics, spatial analysis and computational modeling
• Nutritional security and food access
• Environmental sustainability of agriculture
• Advanced technologies including gene-editing, precision breeding and microbiome/metagenomics in food production
• Zoonotic diseases and pandemic prevention (must have a food and agriculture interface)
• Antimicrobial stewardship (must have a food and agriculture interface)

The program is open to domestic and international students currently enrolled in a DVM or VMD degree program conducting research with a qualified mentor at an AAVMC member institution.

Ineligible Students

Students currently enrolled in or who have completed an advanced research degree such as an MS, Ph.D. or MPH are not eligible for consideration. FFAR and AAVMC strongly encourage applications from students without prior research experience.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

FFAR and AAVMC strongly encourage students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in agriculture to apply. For the purposes of this program, FFAR will use AAVMC’s definition of diversity as encompassing “many dimensions, including, but not limited to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, cultural background, language, cognitive style, nationality, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other forms of differences, both visible and invisible. In defining diversity, it is also incumbent to acknowledge the concept of intersectionality; no single dimension of diversity exists in isolation. We acknowledge that each individual is a reflection of multiple diversity dimensions.

URVM Definition

Historically, AAVMC has identified and recognized the presence of specific historically underrepresented populations in veterinary medicine (URVM) whose advancement in the veterinary medical profession has been disproportionately impacted due to legal, cultural, or social climate impediments in the United States. The specific dimensions are: gender, race, ethnicity (African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, Native Alaskans and Hawaiians, and Hispanics), and geographic, socioeconomic, and educational disadvantage.”

Program Directors at Colleges of Veterinary Medicine are no longer required to submit nominations. There is no restriction on the number of applicants per institution. A letter of support from the Program Director at the mentor’s institution will be required as part of the application package. Program Directors are requested to ensure that applicant(s) is in good academic standing and are integrated into the summer research program at their institution, if awarded.

The Fellowships will provide stipend support for up to 15 students for one year to perform research with a qualified mentor and to participate in the Veterinary Scholars Symposium (VSS). Research may be performed at any time within one year from receipt of award; it is anticipated that most students will complete their project during the summer months. Participation in the VSS, either the year of or year following receipt of the award, is required.

Research need not be performed at the mentor’s institution. Research may be conducted off-site, including internationally, if within the budget requirements. All research must be conducted in accordance with the research compliance requirements (i.e., IACUC approval) of the mentor’s institution as well as the institution where research is conducted, if conducted off-site. If human subjects are involved, the student should be trained in culturally appropriate methods to reach the target population and the mentor must have IRB approval for the project.

Students may be requested to participate in a roundtable discussion with other students organized by FFAR and conducted virtually or at the VSS. All students must complete an AAVMC survey on their experience at the conclusion of the Fellowship.

FFAR will provide the following funds:

• $8,000 student trainee support per award (stipend and travel/registration)
• $2,000 research support per award (supplies and equipment)
• $10,000 total

Matching funds are optional for this program. Funds must be used for student support and any reasonable travel and accommodations associated with access to research sites. All funds must be used within one year from receipt.

FFAR funds will be provided at the start date of the award and must be used specifically for the designated student’s stipend, supplies and participation in the VSS (registration, travel and accommodations). Funds may be used anytime within one year of the project start date; any remaining funds one year later must be returned. AAVMC will disperse FFAR funds directly to the host institution for each student selected.”

All applications must be submitted by the deadline date through FFAR’s online application Grant Management System. Applications submitted outside of this System will not be considered.

To start a new application, please click here. If you are a new user, register for an account by clicking “Create Account” button located under the email address field on the left side of the home page. Once you log in, you may begin working on your application. Please be sure to save your work often by clicking on “Save and Finish Later.” To access a saved application, please do so through your Grant Management Account

Only applications submitted by the deadline through FFAR’s Grant Management System will be accepted and considered eligible for evaluation. To be fair to all applicants, FFAR will not grant extensions to applicants who missed the deadlines posted in the Key Dates section.

Applicants must submit the application using FFAR’S Grant Management System. All information provided will be treated as confidential.

Required online application components

• Grantee (Organization) Information
  • Geographic location (city, state, congressional district) of the applicant organization.
  • Authorized Organizational Representative (name, affiliation, contact information)
  • Grant Administrator (name, affiliation, contact information)
• Fellowship (Contact) Information
  • Program Director (name, affiliation, contact information)
  • Mentor (name, affiliation, contact information)
  • Student (name, affiliation, contact information)
  • AAVMC Demographic Survey
• Proposal Information
  • Project Title
  • Project Duration (start and end dates, total months)
  • Geographic location (city, state, congressional district) where the proposed research will be conducted.
  • What is your [the student’s] hypothesis? (50 words)
  • What are your research objectives? (50 words)
  • What skills will you gain? (100 words)
  • What types of data will you collect and how will it be analyzed? (100 words)
  • Describe your prior research experience. [We encourage applicants who are new to research]. (100 words)
  • What are your career interests and aspirations? Why are you interested in the proposed research topic? (100 words)
  • How will you [the student] contribute to diversity in the veterinary and/or agricultural sciences? (100 words)
    • For the purposes of this program, FFAR will use AAVMC’s definition of diversity as encompassing “many dimensions, including, but not limited to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, cultural background, language, cognitive style, nationality, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other forms of differences, both visible and invisible. In defining diversity, it is also incumbent to acknowledge the concept of intersectionality; no single dimension of diversity exists in isolation. We acknowledge that each individual is a reflection of multiple diversity dimensions.
    • URVM Definition: Historically, AAVMC has identified and recognized the presence of specific historically underrepresented populations in veterinary medicine (URVM) whose advancement in the veterinary medical profession has been disproportionately impacted due to legal, cultural, or social climate impediments in the United States. The specific dimensions are: gender, race, ethnicity (African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, Native Alaskans and Hawaiians, and Hispanics), and geographic, socioeconomic, and educational disadvantage.
  • Please describe whether the project will involve travel, in-person work or be conducted virtually, and any other logistics of which the reviewers should be aware. (50 words)
  • What is the expertise and relevant resources of the mentor and host institution? (100 words)
• Organization Assurances
• Required Attachment: Failure to provide this attachment will disqualify the application.
  • Letter of Support: Program Directors at Colleges of Veterinary Medicine are no longer required to submit nominations. There is no restriction on the number of applicants per institution. A letter of support from the Program Director at the mentor’s institution will be required as part of the application package. Program Directors are requested to ensure that applicants(s) is in good academic standing and are integrated into the summer research program at their institution, if awarded.

Applications undergo a two-tiered review process. First, a panel of three to six external peer reviewers assesses the technical merit and feasibility of the proposal. Then an advisory committee, including program sponsors, considers the reviewer comments to evaluate which proposals fit best with program objectives.

All external reviewers must agree to and adhere to the terms outlined in ’FFAR’s Conflict of Interest Policy and Non-Disclosure Agreement. FFAR makes reasonable efforts to ensure that applications are not assigned to reviewers with a potential conflict with the applicant, institution or project personnel. Reviewers with a conflict of interest are recused from evaluating or participating in the related discussions. Each stage of the review is conducted confidentially, and as such, FFAR is responsible for protecting the confidentiality of the contents of the applications.

All applications will be screened for relevance, accuracy, completeness and compliance with FFAR policies. Applications then will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Research Plan (10 points possible)
  • Is the student’s hypothesis clear, evidence-based and testable?
  • Are the research objectives clearly outlined and designed to generate informative data that will test the hypothesis?
  • Will the student gain important skills (including “soft skills”) for long-term success?
  • Are the plans for data collection and analysis appropriate within the confines of a student project (i.e. limited time and expertise)?
• Applicant Merit (10 points possible)
  • Does the student have significant prior research experience? [We encourage applicants who are new to research].
  • Are the student’s career interests and aspirations consistent with the goals of the program to support the next generation of veterinary scientists in agriculture?
  • Will the student contribute to diversity in agricultural sciences?
• Mentor and Institutional Support (10 points possible)
  • Does the project involve travel, in-person work or will it be conducted virtually? Are there any other logistics of which the reviewers should be aware? Informational only, not scored.
  • Are the expertise and relevant resources of the mentor and host institution appropriate for the student and the project?

There are a total of 30 points possible, 10 points per section.

Selection Notice: Following the full application review process, the principal investigator and the authorized organization representative listed on the project will be officially notified by AAVMC via email of the status of the application. If an application is selected for funding, FFAR and AAVMC reserve the right to request additional or clarifying information for any necessary reason. Potential grantees are free to accept or reject the Grant Agreement as offered.

Intent to Fund Notification: AAVMC notifies applicants of their awards through email. The notice does not constitute an award or obligate funding from FFAR and AAVMC until there is a fully executed Grant Agreement.

For questions related to the online submission system, please contact FFAR’s Grant Management team at grants@foundationfar.org.

For questions related to the FFAR Vet Fellowship, please contact Interim Scientific Program Director for Advanced Animal Systems Nikki Dutta at ndutta@foundationfar.org.

FFAR strives to respond to inquiries within two business days, but our response time depends on the volume of questions received and the complexity of the questions asked. Please note that we do not monitor mailboxes on evenings, weekends or federal holidays.