UFAW Animal Welfare Student Scholarship

 

Animal Welfare Student Scholarships enable students to develop their interests in animal welfare science. Students are encouraged to carry out their own project (whether research or educational) with the aim of contributing to our growing knowledge of how best to assess, or improve, the welfare of animals – be they farm animals, animals in zoos, pets, animals used in scientific research, or those with which we interact in the wild.

Please read carefully the Terms and Conditions for UFAW Animal Welfare Student Scholarships before completing the application form.

 

Who can apply for an AWSS?

Applications are welcome from undergraduate or MSc students who are interested in carrying out a project in animal welfare and who are studying at a UFAW LINK university/institute OR supervised by someone at a UFAW LINK university/institute.

Please visit the UFAW LINKs webpage for further information about the scheme, including details of who to contact if your university/institute is not currently part of the scheme but would be interested in applying to join.

Please note: PhD students are not eligible to apply

Where can the project be carried out?

Projects may be carried out anywhere in the world. If the location of the study is not at the university/institute where the student is enrolled, confirmation is needed from the study host.

What should the project be about?

The project must be relevant to improving or assessing the welfare of farm, companion, laboratory, or zoo animals, or free-living wild animals whose welfare is compromised by human factors. The projects will be relatively small, due to their short duration and the early career stage of the students.

Please note: Much as UFAW applauds research that advances species conservation and other important issues – this scholarship is for work that addresses animal welfare. Conservation projects fall outside of UFAW’s scope as do projects that benefit man or animals but do not address animal welfare specifically. The implications of the project for animal welfare must be made very clearly. Projects that do not address animal welfare will not be funded.

What is the size and duration of the Scholarship?

Student Scholarships consist of £250 per week subsistence allowance for the Scholar (paid to the student directly) and £100 per week project expenses (paid to the host university/organisation). Although typically completed during July-September, projects may be carried out at any time during the year of application and usually last 4 to 8 weeks. Support is provided for up to 8 weeks (up to a maximum of £2800) although projects themselves may be longer than this.

How is the funding supplied?

Payments are normally made by cheque in GBP Sterling to applicants residing in the United Kingdom (UK) and by bank transfer to applicants outside of the UK  (please note that sometimes for reasons beyond our control, such as international sanctions, UFAW may not be able to make certain awards). 

 

What is expected of the Student Scholar?

Scholars are asked to report on their project once completed, and to present their research findings at the Annual Scholars Meeting held online – usually in December or January. We aim for the meeting to be relatively small, as for many it will be their first public scientific presentation, and a safe atmosphere is aimed for.  
 

The Ruth Harrison Scholarship

An assessment panel may select one of the high-quality projects addressing the welfare of farmed animals to be awarded the Ruth Harrison Student Scholarship. This scholarship has been established with the support of the Farm Animal Care Trust (FACT), and is in memory of Ruth Harrison, whose tireless work at the Trust, and seminal book, ‘Animal Machines’, led to reform and long-lasting improvements in farm animal welfare.

 

Completing the form

Language: Please complete the form in English. Please also ensure that any uploaded documents (eg CV) are also written in English. 

Saving your progress: Throughout the form you have an option to save your application and complete it at a later date. You can do this by clicking on the 'save' button at the bottom of the page. You will then be emailed a link to your application form to finish when you are ready. Please be aware, that until you press 'Submit', your application will not have been received by UFAW. Please ensure that you complete and submit your application by the closing date, 28 February 2024. 

Closing date: The deadline for submission of applications is 28 February 2024. 

 

UFAW aims to inform successful candidate(s) by the end of April 2024, with a view to projects being carried out during 2024.

 

 

 

Please read the Terms and Conditions for UFAW Animal Welfare Student Scholarships.

 

 

Detailed project proposal: 

The project proposal should be written by the student (with assistance from the supervisor where necessary).

It is important to outline how you plan to assess or improve animal welfare through the use of science.

When describing your project, please include information on:

o  Background of your project and why the area is important for animal welfare 

o  Aims of the project, and how your results would benefit animal welfare 

o  Methods and project protocol (animals involved, measures taken, presentation of data)

o  References

Where animals are used in a project, information should be provided on:

1. Animals (such as species, strain, weight, sex, age, source, transport, health status);
2. Housing/feeding (such as cage/enclosure type and size, floor, furnishings, bedding, cleaning, thermal environment, number of animals per cage, diet, feeding regime);
3. Experimental design - methodology, details of how numbers in test and control groups have been determined (eg by power analysis prior to the experiment), statistical methods to be used in analysis of the results;
4. Experimental procedures - experimental procedures, any risks to animal welfare (nature and duration), measures to improve the animals’ welfare and, where relevant - analgesia, methods of euthanasia.

 

You are seeking funds to support your work on animal welfare, and UFAW would like to keep you informed about our work, including future funding opportunities. Legislation regarding personal information requires us to seek your consent to receive information about UFAW’s latest news, opportunities and ways you can support us. If you wish to receive this information, please complete the online consent form.

Please note that it will have no bearing on the success of your funding application whether or not you consent to receive information from UFAW.

Once we have your consent, you will continue to receive information from UFAW in the way that you have specified, unless and until you tell us otherwise. Without your consent, we cannot continue to keep in touch. Please fill in a form for each applicant who wishes to receive information. Your interest in our work is much appreciated! 

Thank you for completing a UFAW Animal Welfare Student Scholarship application form. Once you press 'Submit', a copy of your application form will automatically be sent to the 'Student email' provided within 'Student details'.

All applications will be reviewed following the closing date, 28 February 2024.

UFAW will aim to inform all applicants about the outcome of their application before the end of April 2024.

 

PLEASE NOTE: If the student is not enrolled or supervised by someone at a UFAW LINK university/institute, then the application is ineligible and will automatically be rejected.

If your application is successful, we will require confirmation from your supervisor(s) that they are willing to supervise you for the duration of your project.

If all, or part, of your project is to be carried out at a location other than your current place of study, we will also require confirmation from the host location(s) that you have permission to undertake your project there.