Grants Available
The Veterinary Pharmacology Research Foundation (VPRF) and the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Foundation (ACVMIF) are partnering to grant up to $18,000 for research projects that are devoted to veterinary pharmacology. Investigators are encouraged to submit proposals that focus on research to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of therapies for veterinary species, explore new drug therapies for animals, develop and validate models of animal diseases or conditions, or ensure that a safe food supply is not compromised by drug therapy. These areas have been unmet needs in veterinary medicine for over 30 years.
Any clinician or scientist with an interest in veterinary pharmacology is eligible to serve as Principal Investigator on the proposal. As this grant is a partnership between veterinary internists and VPRF, collaborations between pharmacologists and Diplomates of ACVIM are strongly encouraged. The deadline for submission is January 22, 2010. Further information regarding the grant submission process is available at http://www.acvimfoundation.org/grants/apply.html.
VPRF was formed in 2008 by members of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AAVPT) and the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (ACVCP). The funds for this first grant came from an initial investment by AAVPT in February of 2009 and generous donations from veterinary pharmacologists who are members of AAVPT or ACVCP. In addition, Pfizer Animal Health made a substantial donation in 2009 and is the largest corporate sponsor to date for VPRF. Additional veterinary pharmacology grants are anticipated in 2010.
Origin
The formation of a Veterinary Pharmacology Research Foundation (VPRF) was proposed by the governing bodies of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics (AAVPT) and the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (ACVCP) in June of 2006. These organizations identified that the lack of funding for veterinary pharmacology research was limiting both growth and innovation in the development of new veterinary therapeutics, the evaluation of drugs for treatment of diseases in animals, and the number of trained researchers in veterinary pharmacology. They recognized that, unlike human medicine, federal funding and “big Pharma” support for veterinary pharmacology is unavailable, or at best severely restricted. To address this problem, these organizations formed a funding source – a research foundation – as a vehicle to invest their collective resources in the growth of veterinary pharmacology through research grants and training programs.
Foundation Focus: To support research and training in veterinary pharmacology.
- Research - The foundation focuses on veterinary pharmacological research that evaluates the safety and effectiveness of therapies for veterinary species, develops and validates models of animal diseases or conditions, and ensures that a safe food supply is not compromised by drug therapy.
- Training - The foundation focuses on developing future trained veterinary pharmacologists through support of summer internships for students with interests in veterinary pharmacology, ACVCP residency programs and fellowships/post doctoral programs focused on veterinary pharmacology.
Board of Directors
The VPRF board includes Drs. Jane Owens (President), Dan Gingerich (Secretary / Treasurer), Anthony Lucas, Mark Papich, and Joe Gloyd. Importantly, the board includes representatives from both AAVPT and ACVCP.
Funding Sources
- VPRF is soliciting donations from private individuals and pharmaceutical companies interested in supporting the foundation’s veterinary pharmacology research interests.
- Click here for a donation form.
- The Foundations administrative costs have been kept to a minimum because all of the Board serve as volunteers and participate in meetings at their own expense. The Board also calls on members of ACVCP and AAVPT for fundraising activities as they have a unique opportunity to access to the pharmaceutical industry funding stream because many members hold management positions in animal health companies and affiliated industries, or have developed relationships with these companies through other collaborative efforts. These contacts have historically been used to solicit funding for the AAVPT Biennial Symposium and in recent years, this has been very successful as these companies have been the sole source of sponsorship for the Symposia. In addition, AAVPT has recently contributed the start-up funds for the foundation.
- The Veterinary Pharmacology Research Foundation greatly appreciates all financial donations as we work toward our goal of advancing the field of veterinary pharmacology. Donations are tax deductible in the US as the Foundation has been granted tax exempt status under section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Read the story in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association about the launch of the VPRF in March, 2009.
- In order in to increase the immediate impact of VPRF, the board is pursuing a partnership with an existing veterinary research foundation that has similar research/training interests. Both groups are currently working out the details of this partnership. It is anticipated that VPRF will issue its first call for research grant proposals as early as fall 2009
Contact Information:
| President | Secretary-Treasurer | Board Members |
| Jane G. Owens | Dan Gingerich | Joe Gloyd |
| Elanco Animal Health | 2219 Wilmington Road | Anthony Lucas |
| 2001 W. Main St | Lebanon OH 45036 | Mark Papich |
| Greenfield, IN 46140 | Phone: 513-313-5901 | |
| Tel: (317) 276-1476 | E-Mail: dgingerich@imulan.com | |
| Fax: (317) 651-6075 | ||
| Email: owens_jane_g@lilly.com |