10 Jan 2023
First research phase is being conducted in January and February, and aims to analyse amount and distribution of UK canine health research funding in past decade.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image © RVC
RVC researchers are calling for specialist vets and non-university organisations carrying out canine health and welfare research to take part in a study.
It is hoped findings from the research will help inform future funding strategies for animal health and welfare work.
The first phase of the research, in January and February this year, will analyse the amount and distribution of UK canine health research funding in the past decade.
Many research funders work independently and those behind the RVC study believe many important research topics may be being overlooked, while others may overlap with other work.
The RVC research is aiming to allow for prioritising of resources across different areas of canine research and types of problems. Participants in the study will be asked their opinions on future research funding, and their views will contribute to a longer-term strategy for not-for-profit UK canine health research.
Future aims would be to create a pilot consultation process for developing a central platform for collaborative canine research.
The work is being led by the RVC’s VetCompass team, which is also looking for specialist veterinary societies funding specific disease research and charities, corporates and independent referral practices conducting their own in-house canine research to participate.
Anyone taking part will need to submit a brief description of each research project they received funding for and, where possible, how much funding the research project received. All data is confidential and anonymised.
Alison Skipper, postdoctoral researcher into canine research funding within VetCompass at the RVC, said: “We are really keen to hear from as many non-profit organisations involved with canine health research funding as possible. The breadth and depth of this data is vital to ensure that our findings accurately reflect this sector.
“We hope this project will eventually generate a centrally agreed strategy for funding non-commercial canine health research and lead to focused future collaborative research development, with the potential for shared understanding and prioritisation for the sector. The goal is to ensure the most pressing canine health issues are addressed more effectively through coordinated research efforts.”
The research is jointly funded by Battersea, Dogs Trust, The Kennel Club Charitable Trust and The Waltham Foundation.
More information is available online.
