UFAW announces 2020 research training scholarship
The 2020 UFAW SAWI Research Training Scholarship is aimed at advancing animal welfare in Israel.
The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) is making available an award of up to £150,000 to support an innovative animal welfare research project in Israel.
The 2020 UFAW SAWI Research Training Scholarship is aimed at advancing animal welfare – or improving our understanding of animal welfare challenges – and is intended to provide funding to undertake research leading to the award of a doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent). The award is open to applicants from any institution based in Israel which can grant a doctoral degree.
Funding up to a maximum value of £150,000 is available and UFAW would particularly like to encourage applications in the following fields:
• development of approaches to eliminate or alleviate significant welfare problems in farmed animals/development of methodologies aimed at elucidation of the neurological basis of sentience in animals
• development of methods of welfare/quality of life assessment, including detection and alleviation of pain, distress and cumulative lifetime experience
• development of methods for humane pest control
• research aimed at improving the welfare of fish – especially those farmed or caught for food.
UFAW does not wish to exclude potentially valuable projects in other aspects of animal welfare science and applications for work in other areas will also be welcomed. The award can be used to support research into welfare of any animal species – including farm, zoo, companion, laboratory and wild or feral animals – where this is affected by human activities.
The Fund has evolved from the Society for Animal Welfare in Israel – once a charitable organisation in its own right and now an integral part of UFAW. The first SAWI Scholarship was awarded to Roi Mandel in 2011 in the hope that it would not only develop useful animal welfare knowledge, but also help build Israeli capacity in animal welfare science.
Roi’s scholarship and subsequent work is an excellent start and his teaching work is helping to develop interest and expertise in animal welfare in the next generation of animal welfare professionals.
The applications will be judged on their importance for animal welfare, scientific and other merits and value for money. Applicants are asked to submit a brief concept note (complete with curriculum vitae and publications list) by 1 November 2019 using the application form which can be found on the UFAW website.
Following assessment, selected applicants will be invited to submit detailed proposals jointly prepared by the supervisor and the PhD candidate prior to final selection of the successful application.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
