Wild Animal Initiative Fellowship Program 2023

Deadline: January 1, 2023

Wild Animal Initiative is inviting early-career scientists to apply to join our fellowship program. Fellowships are offered to individuals to conduct wild animal welfare research that is explicitly focused on combining animal welfare and the study of wild animals.

We offer a stipend of up to $60,000 USD per year for salary and living expenses. Eligible candidates can request an additional allowance of up to $25,000 USD per year for field work, consumables and other research-related costs.

Wild animal welfare is an inherently interdisciplinary field of inquiry. Unfortunately, many wildlife scientists are not exposed to advances in the welfare sciences, and vice versa. We’ve heard from early career researchers working in both domains that they wish they had more opportunities to learn about the other — for example, animal welfare scientists who feel their training did not provide them grounding in fieldwork, or ecologists who don’t know how welfare can be assessed or measured. We’re excited to provide a new fellowship program that addresses this gap.

SEE ALSO: African Master’s in Machine Intelligence Program 2023

Eligibility Criteria

Wild Animal Initiative postdoctoral fellowships are highly competitive. A maximum of six fellows will be
selected for this call. Applicants should contact Wild Animal Initiative at grants@wildanimalinitiative.org to
discuss the project, mentorship, and application process before submitting an Expression of Interest
(EoI).
This call is open to applicants at an early-career stage (postdoctoral researchers or anyone within 5 years of
receiving a PhD), interested in pursuing a long-term research career in wild animal welfare. We particularly
encourage applications from communities underrepresented in the sciences, including but not limited to
people of colour, people of the global south, self-identified women, and non-binary individuals.
● Mission Alignment: Projects must advance the science of wild animal welfare. Projects exclusively
focused on farmed animal welfare, domestic welfare, or wildlife conservation or management do not
fall within Wild Animal Initiative’s mission and will not be supported.
● Location: We welcome proposals from researchers around the world, with the following exceptions:
(1) We are unable to fund work that will be carried out in the United States by a non-US resident.
(2) We are not able to fund researchers resident in nations subject to sanctions by the United States
(e.g., Iran, North Korea, Russia).
● Animal Use and Handling Policy: Projects must adhere to Wild Animal Initiative’s guidance for
animals involved in research. If your project will involve any work with animals, in the field or the lab,
please be aware we are less likely to select a proposed project that would cause harm to animals. If
invasive methods are to be used, welfare concerns should be elaborated on in the proposal and methods
justified with evidence showing why the use of alternatives would not be possible.
● Budget: The budget for salary cannot exceed $60,000 per year, inclusive of benefits and indirect costs
(if charged by your institution). The budget for consumables cannot exceed $25,000, inclusive of
indirect costs (if charged by your institution). A budget for postdoctoral healthcare costs of up to $5,000
should be included, if the need is demonstrated.
● Timeframe: The project submitted should be framed as a 1, 2 or 3-year project with clearly identified
achievements for year 1 and justification for years 2 and 3, as appropriate.
● Duration: Maximum fellowship/project duration is three years.
● Mentor: Applicants must have the support of an appropriately experienced mentor in the applicant’s
field.

Application Procedure

To submit an application, please submit the following materials through the online Fellowship EoI form:
● Your CV
● A brief explanation of your career plans.
● A brief statement of your interest in wild animal welfare.
● A 1-2 page concept note outlining the details of your proposed project.
● A brief explanation of how you and your key collaborators are qualified for the proposed project.
● Required for Track 1 applicants only: Letter of Support from your proposed advisor and their CV
uploaded as one file (Only required if you know the host institution and/or advisor).

Application Registration Deadline: January 1, 2023

To Apply: Click here

Official Website: Click here