Applications currently being accepted for the 2017 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation Past Presidents’ and EQUUS Foundation Research Fellows scholarships. The deadline to apply is Aug. 1.

These annual scholarships are awarded to AAEP-member veterinarians who are beginning careers in equine research. Each recipient receives a $5,000 scholarship during the AAEP’s 63^rd Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 17-21, 2017.

The AAEP Foundation Past Presidents’ Research Fellow and the EQUUS Foundation/AAEP Foundation Research Fellow, established in 2006 and 2011, respectively, emphasize the importance of equine research while rewarding researchers for their personal contributions.

The Foundation created the research fellows to acknowledge the increasing need to train future equine veterinary researchers and help supplement post-graduate and residency research fellowship salaries and benefits. These 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 pursuing a career in research and teaching mainly due to economic constraints,” said Richard Mitchell, DVM, MRCVS, DACVSMR, chairman of the AAEP Foundation Advisory Council. “If our knowledge of horse health is going to continue to advance, we must encourage more veterinarians to become researchers. We can’t thank the EQUUS Foundation and AAEP’s past presidents enough for supporting those pursuing careers in equine research.”

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 the scholarships focus on supporting the researcher, not the project.

The scholarship descriptions and applications are accessible on the AAEP Foundation’s website.

About AAEP Foundation

The AAEP Foundation, 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 more than $3.7 million to support its mission.

About EQUUS Foundation

The EQUUS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity established in 2002, also known as Horse Charities of America, is the only national animal welfare charity in the United States dedicated solely to horse welfare and the horse-human bond. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Contact the EQUUS Foundation, Inc.: Tele: (203) 259-1550; E-mail: mail@equusfoundation.org; or Website: www.equusfoundation.org. 

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Note: AAEP Foundation and EQUUS Foundation logos are available for use with this release by contacting John Cooney at jcooney@aaep.org.