Supporting the Implementation of Refinements to Improve the Welfare of Animals in Experimentation
AWI offers grants of up to US$8,000 toward the purchase of equipment or training of staff for the purpose of implementing refinements known to improve the welfare of animals in experimentation.
Application Deadline
- The 2024 competition is now closed. Please check back in summer 2025 for the next application deadline.
- If you would like to receive an email notification when the submission process begins each year, please send an email to [email protected]. You will be able to remove yourself from this email list at any time.
Application Requirements
- This grant is open to residents of the United States or Canada for equipment and/or training intended for use in the United States or Canada.
- This grant is intended to improve the lives of animals in experimentation above and beyond meeting their basic needs. Refinement requests for nontraditional research settings will require additional justification to be considered for funding. Requests for basic husbandry or medical care that should be provided de facto by the institution will not be eligible for funding.
- Projects that inflict avoidable stress or that require killing animals as part of the process of implementing the refinement will not be funded.
- It is AWI policy that no award funds can be used for indirect costs (e.g., overhead) or for the purchase of animals, unless they will ultimately be rehomed (i.e., adopted or retired to a sanctuary).
- Applicants must submit a completed application form (including a breakdown of the proposed budget), a CV/resume, and a letter of support from their institution.
Additional Information
- Proposed refinements must be implemented within one year of receiving funds.
- Depending on the complexity of the proposed refinement and/or the applicants’ existing expertise using such equipment, AWI may choose initially to fund the purchase of a smaller amount of equipment for applicants to pilot/trial before funding the rest.
- Grant recipients must agree to submit a 250-word summary and photograph(s) describing the refinement implementation process and results. This summary may be edited for potential publication, with the recipient’s approval, in the AWI Quarterly magazine.
- For additional information, please contact [email protected].
- Dr. Diana Coulon of Pennington Biomedical Research Center to purchase materials that allow rodents to climb and perch, encouraging species-specific behaviors and providing new places to explore and hide.
- Ioan Cozma of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre to purchase tree branches for marmoset cages to promote natural wood-gnawing behaviors.
- Joshua Ejdelman of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre to purchase quieter and lower-vibration wheels for carts to reduce animal stress as they are transported within facilities.
- Tania Liboiron of the University of Saskatchewan to purchase large, double-decker cages with interlinking tubes and enrichment tools, such as activity wheels and huts, to offer rats social housing without overcrowding.
- Dr. Kerith Luchins of the University of Chicago to purchase handling tunnels for mice and expand their use campus-wide to reduce animal anxiety and improve welfare.
- Dr. Carly Moody of the University of California, Davis to purchase elevated platforms and shelters for mice and create educational infographics about the benefits of these enrichment items.
- Dr. Vanessa Oliver of the University of Calgary to purchase pens, toys, and shelters to implement an exercise program for rabbits institution-wide that will improve their physical and mental health.
- Jenna Owens of Texas Biomedical Research Institute to build cooperative enrichment items for singly housed primates, including tug-of-war units, puzzle feeders, and interactive touchscreen tablets, to encourage social interaction and play between animals housed next to each other.
- Dr. Sarah Baert of the University of Guelph for establishing a positive reinforcement training program that allows rats to live in a free-range system and be caught and handled easily.
- Dr. Courtney Glavis-Bloom of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies for purchasing touchscreen computers to promote an enriching environment and measure cognitive decline in marmosets.
- Anna Jimenez and Dr. Marie-Chantal Giroux of McGill University for purchasing transparent handling tunnels as a less-stressful alternative to picking up mice by their tails.
- Dr. Kathy Lapointe of the University of Montreal for developing and implementing a physical therapy program to reduce muscle atrophy and increase psychological stimulation among cats, dogs, and horses used for teaching at the university’s veterinary school.
- Rochelle Moore of the University of Utah for purchasing a 3D printer to print custom caps that cover and protect cranial implants and surrounding tissue in rhesus macaques.
- Dr. Catherine Schuppli of the University of British Columbia for purchasing larger cages and enrichment activities for rats and mice to engage in burrowing, climbing, and exploration.