PetSavers awards student research project (SRP) grants to support undergraduate student vets, vet nurses and bioveterinary science students in carrying out a project in companion animal science and medicine. The grants include:
- A stipend of £200 per week for 6-10 weeks for projects undertaken outside of term time (no stipend provided for term time projects)
- Up to £1200 for consumables
- A student ticket and travel bursary to attend a subsequent BSAVA Congress to present an abstract of the project
Applications should be made by prospective supervisors from UK universities.
Applications are open all year, with three cutoff dates of 31st January, 30th April, and 31st August, although cutoff dates may be subject to change. For all cutoff points, we aim to make a decision whether to fund within 6 weeks. This should allow for maximum flexibility to fit in with different institutional timetables.
Read more from past recipients of the SRP grant, Alexander, Becky and Sze Lynn:
- “There was something very satisfying about seeing the data sheet become numbers and figures that will eventually become an evidence base for other clinicians, in turn benefiting cats.” Read more about Alexander’s research exploring the neurological signs associated with lymphoma, and the data that guides clinical decision-making.
- “While a number of opinions have been expressed regarding whether cotton wool or non-woven gauze swabs are more effective for cleaning the pre-operative surgical site, these are all based off of anecdotal evidence and there is, currently, no scientific evidence to support these claims.” Read more about how PetSavers funding enabled Becky to overcome the barrier to undertaking research: the cost of sending swab samples to a microbiology lab.
- “I honed my ability to interpret various imaging modalities (especially that of CT images) and simple coding, which I hope to apply when I begin practicing as a vet.” Read more about Sze Lynn’s research in the field of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in dogs, a condition she’d first observed in clinical practice before beginning her university degree.
The acceptance rate for this grant over the last 10 years is 73%.
How to apply
- Complete the application form below, making sure to fill in the checklist, and provide truncated CVs for each grant applicant.
- Obtain, or at the very least apply for, ethical approval for your project and provide supporting evidence of this.
- Complete our terms and conditions (below) by obtaining signatures from the main applicant (supervisor) and an authorised representative of the institution.
- Email all documents to petsaversadmin@bsava.com.
Please note that the use of experimental animals is not permitted in any work funded by BSAVA PetSavers, and this includes work on tissues derived from experimental animals. Visit our Guidance for Applicants page to read our full statement on experimental animals, view eligibility criteria and guidance on designing a robust research project.