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Student research grant scheme opens for applications
Previous recipients have received grants of up to £5,000.
Funding is available for animal welfare research projects.

A grant scheme for animal welfare projects by undergraduate students is now open for applications.

The Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) Student Grant Scheme is looking to fund short research projects addressing animal welfare issues relevant to managed animals in the UK.

Undergraduate students in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing, animal welfare studies, agricultural sciences, zoology, and social sciences are invited to apply.

The grant scheme has been running since 2016 and has invested more than £85,000 in student research projects. Previous projects have received grants of between £500 and £5,000.

Julian Kupfer, chair of AWF, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for students to engage with scientific research and gain hands-on experience whilst furthering their understanding of animal welfare.

“This will help them to develop essential skills for their professional careers as well as creating valuable evidence and research for the animal welfare sector to reflect upon and learn from.”

AWF is a charity run by the British Veterinary Association to champion and improve the welfare of animals in the UK through independent research, education, and debate. Funding will be awarded to several projects after AWF received a £12,000 grant from the Benefact Group to fund the grant scheme for this year.

AWF manager Erika Singh added: “We are incredibly grateful to the Benefact Group for this generous grant. Robust scientific evidence is needed to address the many welfare issues faced by animals today.

“This funding ensures we can keep supporting students to make a real difference in addressing the challenges animals face and help build a strong pool of future animal welfare advocates, whose work is rooted in science.”

The deadline for submissions is 28 February 2024. Information about how to apply can be found here.

Image © Shutterstock


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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.