Foundation - Grants & Funding

Tips for Preparing a Successful Grant Application

Propose a compelling topic that involves one or more animal species of major importance to biomedical research.
Formulate a question whose answer will benefit animals, the personnel who care for animals, and/or the scientific validity of animal use. Aim for relevant results.
Comment on the relevance of the study to advance scientific knowledge in the fields of laboratory animal science and medicine and/or to benefit the health and well being of laboratory animals.

Consider adding a collaborator(s) to your team to include a scientist, from across the hall or around the globe, who has a publication record in the area of interest.

A critique of your experimental design from a statistician and/or experienced investigator may help to point out items that need further explanation. These colleagues would help you ensure that the study outcome will withstand scientific analysis. Flawed experimental design will derail an otherwise compelling proposal.
Specify all control groups (e.g., sham surgical controls, negative controls, positive controls, etc.). If certain types of controls are absent, explain the rationale for each omission.
Be explicit but brief in experimental design description. Experimental group and treatment listings may be portrayed succinctly in a table.
Consider how you will avoid observer bias, order/sequence bias, and environmental effects.

Address all issues that pertain to animal welfare. If best available practices for animal handling , anesthesia, analgesia, or animal care are not employed, explain why.
Indicate what type(s) of data will be collected. Note the frequency, method, volume, and duration of sample collection from animals.
Use the best available data collection methods. Refinements such as automated or implantable devices for physiologic monitoring, sample collection or sustained drug delivery often provide superior data compared with other methods.
Explain methodology for critical phases of study. If "natural exposure" to an infectious agent is proposed for animals, explain how such exposure is achieved or mimicked. If a "behavioral profile" is assessed, itemize the parameters and scoring system that will be used.
Describe animal husbandry, particularly when husbandry methods will impact results. - Indicate what will happen to animals when the study is complete.