Applications for the 2013 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation Past Presidents’ Research Fellow and EQUUS Foundation Research Fellows are being accepted until Aug. 1. These annual scholarships, established in 2006 and 2011, respectively, emphasize the importance of equine research and reward AAEP-member veterinarians beginning careers in equine research for their personal contributions. 

Acknowledging the increasing need to train future equine veterinary researchers, these awards were created to supplement post-graduate and residency research fellowship salaries and benefits. The scholarships are made possible through the monetary contributions of AAEP past presidents and the EQUUS Foundation.

“Although it is common for veterinary graduates with an equine interest to pursue residency training in a clinical specialty, it is difficult to get them to the next level of pursing a career in research and teaching mainly due to economic constraints,” said AAEP Foundation Chairman Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, Ph.D. “If our knowledge of horse health is going to continue to advance, we must encourage more veterinarians to become researchers.”

Ideal candidates for the research fellows are graduates of an AVMA-accredited school/college of veterinary medicine who have experience conducting equine research and are nearing completion of a residency or doctoral program. Applicants who are seeking funding for their research project or have secured funding from other organizations are eligible to apply, as these scholarships focus on supporting the researcher instead of the project. 

To download a copy of the scholarship descriptions and application, visit the scholarships section of the AAEP Foundation’s website atwww.aaepfoundation.org. 

The AAEP Foundation (www.aaepfoundation.org), a 501(c)(3) organization created in 1994, serves as the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners to improve the welfare of the horse. Since its inception, the Foundation has allocated nearly $2.5 million to support its mission. 

The EQUUS Foundation (www.equusfoundation.org), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 2002, is dedicated to ensuring the quality of life of horses, promoting the use of horses to enrich the lives of those in need, and educating the public about the horse’s unique ability to empower, teach and heal. 

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