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FFAR » 2025 FFAR Veterinary Student Research Fellowship
Open Opportunity
Contact
Nikki Dutta ndutta@foundationfar.org
Grants Team grants@foundationfar.org
The program is not accepting applications at this time.
As producers grapple with devastating diseases like H5N1 influenza (bird flu), African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease, alongside growing demands for improved animal welfare and sustainable practices, the need for skilled veterinarians to safeguard the nation’s food supply has never been more urgent. However, the United States is experiencing a critical shortage of veterinarians specializing in livestock and poultry, threatening public health, food safety and the economic vitality of agricultural communities.
To support the development of future veterinary researchers, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) established the FFAR Veterinary Student Research Fellowship (FFAR Vet Fellows) in 2018. This year, the fellowship features several updates to expand its scope, eligibility and impact. The program is accepting applications for the 2025 cohort.
Veterinary research is critical to solving 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 ensure students are aware of the numerous opportunities for veterinarians, FFAR and AAVMC established the FFAR Vet Fellows to support veterinary student research ranging from climate change to pandemic prevention. The fellowship prepares fellows for multi-faceted careers in science and public service. The fellows complete their research with a qualified mentor at an AAVMC member institution and present their findings at the annual Veterinary Scholars Symposium.
Research Topics Supported The FFAR Vet Fellows program will support both quantitative and qualitative student research including, but not limited, to the following:
Student Eligibility & Award Funds
The fellowship is providing up to 15 students a total of $16,000 — a $6,000 increase from last year. It is open to domestic and international students currently enrolled in a DVM or VMD degree program. New this year, students enrolled in or who have completed an advanced research or non-research degree, such as an MS, MPH or graduate certificate are eligible to apply. Students do not need to have prior research experience, and matching funds are not required for this program. Students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in agriculture are strongly encouraged to apply.
Each application must include a letter of support from a program director or department chair.
The program is open to domestic and international students currently enrolled in a DVM or VMD degree program. New this year, students enrolled in or who have completed an advanced research or non-research degree, such as an MS, MPH or graduate certificate are eligible to apply.
There is no limit to the number of students/applicants per institution.
Diversity, Equity & 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.”
Matching funds are optional for this program. 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 Veterinary Scholars Symposium (including, but not limited to, 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. Funds will be dispersed directly to the institution of the selected student by AAVMC.
For questions related to fellowship funds and funding distribution, please contact Brooklind Norman, AAVMC program coordinator, at BNorman@aavmc.org.
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. Review Process Applications are reviewed by an ad-hoc advisory committee, which may include program sponsors, on proposal merit, feasibility, and completeness. Final selections are made by FFAR and AAVMC using the advisory committee’s recommendations. 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.
For programmatic questions, please contact Nikki Dutta, Scientific Program Officer at ndutta@foundationfar.org. For questions related to the online submission system, please contact FFAR’s Grant Management team at grants@foundationfar.org.
For questions related to fellowship funds and funding distribution, please contact Brooklind Norman, AAVMC Program Coordinator at BNorman@aavmc.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.
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