14 Apr 2026
Officials have hailed the impact of legacy donations to their work as a senior academic praised its support for her research.
Allister Webb
Job Title
A senior academic has hailed the impact of a prominent charity’s veterinary research support as it opened applications for grants from a new, £80,000 funding pot.
Officials from the BVA’s charity, the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), said legacy donations have allowed them to offer an additional £50,000 of support this year.
RVC associate professor Charlotte Burn, who co-authored a paper on rabbits’ ear and dental disease that received more than £26,000 from the group, said it valued studies that went “beyond health alone”.
She added: “Being able to gather evidence helps us make genuinely effective decisions about how to solve animal welfare problems. It’s a way of helping make the world a better place.”
The new funding is being offered for projects that are considered relevant to UK veterinary and allied professionals which begin in 2026 and last for a maximum of three years.
AWF chair Julian Kupfer said: “High-quality research is the cornerstone to improving animal welfare, providing the evidence needed to successfully push for innovation and change.
“We’re excited to be able to increase this funding significantly to help continue to build a valuable evidence base for improving animal welfare.”
Grants committee chair Nicola Gladden added: “Legacies, no matter how large or how small, are so important to AWF.
“They enable us to continue support much needed research as well as education into the field of animal welfare.”
Applications for the new fund will remain open until midnight on 10 May, the day before the foundation holds its annual Discussion Forum in London.
Tickets remain available via the event page on the foundation’s website, where further details of how to apply for a grant or leaving a legacy can also be found.