Animal Welfare Professionals

Winn Feline Foundation Call for Proposals Pertaining to Feline Shelter Medicine Deadline Approaching

WINN SPECIAL CALL FOR RESEARCH PROPOSALS

PERTAINING TO FELINE SHELTER MEDICINE

Call for Proposals to all scientific investigators interested in conducting health studies related to feline shelter medicine. Details follow and proposals are due by December 10th. Specific Subject Area: Research with a special emphasis on diseases or conditions affecting shelter and free-roaming cats.

In addition to the general 2019 Winn Feline Foundation grant cycle, Winn, in collaboration with PetSmart Charities®, is pleased to announce a special emphasis request for proposals in feline shelter medicine. Animal shelters in the United States take in and care for over 3 million cats each year. Some are healthy kittens with a high likelihood of adoption; many are adult or senior cats that are injured or ill, and often stressed, increasing their susceptibility to disease. Illness and behavioral issues reduce the likelihood of adoption and place a significant burden on shelter resources at both the level of population-based care and individual animal care. Winn Feline Foundation is requesting proposals to address the needs of shelter and free-roaming cats, which includes but is not limited to the following: Clinical Disease:

• Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)
• Ringworm
• Internal and external parasitism (eg. Scabies)
• Panleukopenia
• Unweaned (Neonatal health)
• Diarrhea in neonates/foster kittens

Behavioral health:

• Impact of housing and its associated stressors which can lead to:
• Stress-associated reactivation of latent herpesvirus infection and feline URI
• Intensive handling needs that increase transmission of serious disease such as panleukopenia, ringworm or diarrhea.
• Intensive handling needs that increase transmission of serious disease such as panleukopenia, ringworm or diarrhea
• Stress-associated failure to engage in normal health maintenance behaviors, such as elimination, grooming and eating, and the associated consequences.
• Euthanasia due to feral/fearful behavior.

Please Take Note:

The deadline for receipt of applications is Monday, December 10, 2018 and awards will be announced by mid-May 2019.

• The maximum grant amount is $25,000 and expectations are to fund at least three separate proposals. Awards will be determined in March 2019. Only proposals that can be completed within a 1-year time frame will be considered.

• Projects should have discrete and achievable goals within the $25,000 limit. They must demonstrate their relevance or benefit to improving feline health and welfare, particularly regarding shelter or free-roaming cats. Pilot studies will be accepted and should be clearly designated as such. Competitive proposals will include application of research outcomes to both individual animal care as well as population-level management, and must include a clear communication plan to disseminate findings to academic colleagues (in peer-reviewed publication) and shelters (in a lay-language technical bulletin).

• Applicants may be faculty veterinarians, post-doctoral fellows (PhDs, either DVM or non-DVM), practicing veterinarians or veterinary students with an interest in feline shelter medicine or population management. Funding will not be provided to individual shelters to enhance adoption, as the intention of this special emphasis RFP is to broadly impact shelter medicine and foster dissemination of best practices to all shelters across the US.

• Investigators receiving a grant award are REQUIRED to credit Winn Feline Foundation and PetSmart Charities® in any and all publications arising from this research. Copies of all publications arising from this project should be submitted to the Foundation on or before the time of publication. As stated previously, awarded studies must include a clear communication plan to disseminate findings to academic colleagues (in peer-reviewed publication) and shelters (in a lay-language technical bulletin). Winn Feline Foundation and PetSmart Charities® will collaborate in the distribution of technical bulletins if requested.

• Winn Feline Foundation can provide assistance for grant writing by offering examples of successful grant proposals, Journal resources, and/or advising on mentorship.

For detailed instructions please review the complete Grant Guidelines Document. All studies must abide by our Humane Guidelines . All studies must use our cover sheet for submission. A document and pdf version are provided.

For additional information on our Winn grant programs - application forms, criteria, and calendar - visit our website. Please read our most recent Research Update. Winn Offers Grant Writing Resources

About Winn Feline Foundation
Winn Feline Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1968 that supports studies to improve cat health. Since 1968, Winn Feline Foundation has funded more than $6.5 million in health research for cats at more than 30 partner institutions world-wide. For further information, go to www.winnfelinefoundation.org.

Winn Feline Foundation
Vicki L. Thayer DVM, DABVP (Feline) Executive Director Emeritus 888-963-6946, extension 702 Media Info

Winn Feline Foundation
Steve Dale, CABC Media Contact and Winn Board Member 773-795-8696 Media Info

Winn Feline Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization established by The Cat Fanciers Association