PetSavers offers research grants to vets

PetSavers will release an additional £140,000 in grants to help vets to unlock their ‘inner researcher’, as part of the BSAVA’s 60th anniversary celebrations. The generous gift from the BSAVA’s charitable division will fund four Masters by Research projects, giving vets with enquiring minds the opportunity to investigate aspects of clinical research relating to their work – in particular vets working in practice. Universities have submitted research suggestions and from March 1 2017, BSAVA members can vote for their favourite in six areas: the use of antibiotics canine parasitic diseases advances in oncology quality of life assessment chronic feline conditions joint disease PetSavers invites delegates to cast their votes at its Congress exhibition stand in April, or to vote online. The ballot will run until April 25 and the top four titles will be announced for potential applicants to apply for one of the grants. Susan Macaldowie, PetSavers management committee chair said: “We want to create exciting and valuable opportunities for researchers, the veterinary profession and for pet owners and hope that these grants will bring forward some groundbreaking discoveries to mark this special 60th anniversary for the BSAVA. “We would like voters to consider whether the studies will advance current veterinary practice and the majority of BSAVA members are working on the front line of veterinary practice, so they are best placed to choose the research topic. “Secondly, we would like the grants to have an element of public appeal because PetSavers believes it is the perfect time for the charity to raise its profile with the general public.” The Masters by Research programme matches participants with highly experienced supervisors and provides BSAVA support and guidance. Applications open on April 12 and close on August 31. The grants are in addition to the current PetSavers programme that opens later in the year. PetSavers is the charitable division of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and has been dedicated to improving the health of the nation’s pets since 1974. The charity’s aim is to improve the health of pets by relieving the distress and pain caused by diseases for which we currently have no effective treatments. Funded solely by charitable donations, PetSavers has invested more than £2 million in vital clinical research and training programmes over the past 40 years, in areas as diverse as kidney disease, anaemia, diabetes, feline leukaemia, deafness, cancer and heart disease, to name but a few. For more information about PetSavers, to find out how you can get involved, or apply for a research grant, visit www.petsavers.org.uk.