2026 ASPCA Research Grants

Timeframe: Friday, April 10, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET - Friday, July 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET

About these Grants

We strongly recommend that all applicants read this document prior to finalizing their application. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®) research grants fund high-quality research with a clear potential to benefit animals, either directly or through effecting systems-level change. Proposals to extend existing studies, focused on other disciplines, will also be considered if they can clearly demonstrate substantial potential benefit to animal welfare.

This year we are soliciting proposals in the following Six research areas

Access to Veterinary Care (AVC) Research: Proposals that address AVC for cats, dogs, and equines from any angle (e.g., medical, legal, impact, program delivery, community engagement, veterinary engagement). Ideally, the research will establish tools or guidelines to improve access to veterinary care.

Applied Behavior Research: Proposals that inform the development, refinement, or validation of evidence-based shelter behavior protocols, or validation of applied shelter behavior research methodology. Proposed research must assess the impact of interventions for common behavior concerns in shelter populations that frequently lead to euthanasia of otherwise adoptable dogs and cats, such as excessive arousal, or validate methodologies to reliably assess behavior and/or welfare in the shelter environment. Proposals that focus on general management protocols will not be funded.

Cruelty Research: Proposals that address cruelty toward equines, cats, or dogs from any angle or relevant discipline (e.g., public policy, law, criminal justice, criminology, veterinary forensics, community engagement, prevention/intervention, human behavior change). Of particular interest is research that a) increases understanding of the perspectives of key stakeholder groups (e.g., law enforcement/animal control, veterinary professionals, animal shelters/rescues) or b) investigates the effectiveness of cruelty prevention/response efforts at the community or system level. Also of interest is research that heightens awareness of animal cruelty and builds knowledge that informs and engages key community stakeholders and allied professionals in preventing and responding to this animal welfare issue.

Farm Animal Welfare Research: Proposals exploring how farmers’ use of healthier, non-conventional broiler chicken breeds, intersects with the birds’ use of pasture, environmental outcomes, and/or chicken product nutritional content. Research may be conducted by farms or other businesses in addition to academic or research institutions. However, field studies must include an academic partner or follow established field trial protocols for design and data collection.

Psychological Trauma Research: Proposals related to developing and validating novel approaches to the objective documentation of animal cruelty and neglect in the absence of physical trauma (i.e., documenting psychological trauma) in dogs. Proposals are encouraged from any relevant discipline (e.g., physiology, psychology, ethology). Of particular interest is research that focuses on objective measures, including biomarkers and quantitative behavioral phenotyping.

Shelter Research: Proposals related to the well-being and care of equines, dogs and/or cats in a shelter environment, as well as programs that strengthen prevention-oriented approaches that reduce suffering and keep animals and people together. Scope includes topics reflected in the Association of Shelter Veterinarians’ Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters (2022), including shelter management and operations, population management, adoption and adoption promotion, medical health, public health, and shelter-based surgery.

Note: proposals related to shelter behavior research should be submitted to the Applied Behavior Research category, proposals related to animal cruelty should be submitted to either the Psychological Trauma Research or Cruelty Research category, and proposals related to increasing access to veterinary care should be submitted to the Access to Veterinary Care category (see descriptions).

Grant Fund Amounts

The total funding amount available for these opportunities is $750,000.

The maximum individual grant amount for each research area is: $50,000 for Access to Veterinary Care Research, $35,000 for Applied Behavior Research, $50,000 for Cruelty Research, $75,000 for Farm Animal Welfare Research, $35,000 for Psychological Trauma Research, and $50,000 for Shelter Research. Requests may be made for any amount up to and including the maximum, and applications of any amount will be equally considered.

Eligibility

Investigators and/or research teams affiliated with United States-based public or private entities such as universities, colleges, government agencies, veterinary hospitals and clinics, animal welfare organizations, and other organizations. This opportunity is also available to Canadian registered public universities and qualified municipalities/public bodies that can demonstrate the applicability of the research to improve the welfare of animals in the United States.

Applications from individuals will not be accepted.

Applicants must meet ASPCA Grantee Organizational Standards:

If a past ASPCA grant recipient, must be current on all reporting requirements
If a nonprofit organization
- Must be an incorporated or organized legal entity in good standing with the Secretary of State in the state where the organization is incorporated or organized
Must have a board of at least 4 members with a majority of independent members with neither board chair nor treasurer receiving compensation from the organization
Charitable registration must be current/active in the state of the Grantee’s primary location (for grants >=$25,000)

Projects with the primary aim of providing services or building infrastructure will not be considered. Proposals focused on evaluating the effectiveness of a program or service must demonstrate methodological rigor and a clear plan to produce generalizable scientific knowledge. Please see the Essential Requirements FAQs for the research area you are interested in to view eligibility information for specific projects.

If your organization is interested in research but does not currently have the capacity to conduct formal research on its own, we encourage you to email ASPCAresearch@aspca.org. We will gladly talk with you about ways to pursue your research ideas and may be able to offer networking and/or guidance.

Attend an Open House to learn more or ask questions

We will offer two one-hour open houses to address questions from prospective applicants. A link to the recording of each session will be posted to this page once available.

Strong Proposals Should

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Relevance – the proposed research directly informs and advances the research area; research questions are clearly stated and justified.
Approach – the study design is justified and appropriate to achieve the project goals (e.g., the study is adequately powered to answer the questions; is adequately controlled, the statistical analysis is appropriate; ethical issues are addressed including a plan for obtaining Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and/or Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent oversight board compliance, where required; if owned animals will participate in the study, a plan is included for acquiring owner consent; the project timeline is logical, feasible, and includes a plan to address any anticipated risks or obstacles).
Potential impact – the research has clear potential to inform and advance animal welfare in the United States; the proposal includes a clear and appropriate plan for disseminating findings to relevant stakeholders/audiences, especially applied audiences.
Generalizability – the results can be used by many stakeholders in different settings or with different resources. Or, for smaller “seed” projects that explore the feasibility of an idea, the results can give rise to further research that is highly generalizable.
Credentials – the ability of the team to carry out the work.
Budget – the budget is reasonable and appropriately justified.

Please note that due to the volume of applications received, individualized feedback on applications cannot be guaranteed.

To promote dissemination of research findings, especially to applied audiences, the ASPCA strongly encourages open-access publishing of manuscripts arising from funded research. Applicants may include article processing charges in their budget proposals as an allowable expense; however, publication must be feasible within the proposed project timeline in order to do so. Separately, the ASPCA also offers an Open-Access Publishing Fund (OAPF) for completed research for which publication costs are the only need.

ASPCA as a Resource

A member of the ASPCA's research staff and/or subject matter experts affiliated with the ASPCA may be available to lend expertise to study design considerations as requested by grant recipients. ASPCA personnel will not participate in data collection, analysis, or manuscript writing, and the proposed budget and application must provide for the personnel and expertise to accomplish these tasks.

Grant Timeline

RFP will open on Friday, April 10, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. ET.
RFP will close on Friday, July 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Finalists will be notified via email in September
Funding decisions are expected around Wednesday, September 30, 2026

How to Apply

Please submit an application by completing this form. Please note that Airtable will not allow you to save your work and return later to complete your application. We recommend that you prepare in advance the information listed in the Essential Requirements FAQs to allow you to complete the form in one session. Please be sure all requested information is included in your responses. Applications cannot be revised after submission.

Apply Now

Recently Awarded Grants

The following is a list of recent awards under our ASPCA Research Grant programs. It is not intended to be prescriptive; rather, it offers prospective applicants an idea of the types of research we have funded under this solicitation.

Access to Veterinary Care Research

Idaho Humane Society: Clinical trial of Paraosseous Clamp-Cerclage Stabilization (PCCS) Technique as an Inexpensive Osteosynthesis System, 2024
Kansas State University: Amplifying the Voices of the Unhoused: Exploring Barriers and Trust in Veterinary Care with Photovoice, 2024
Purdue University: Studying the treatment of sporadic bacterial cystitis in spayed, female dogs with Clavamox, 2024
Regents of the University of California, UC Davis: The validation of companion cat health measurements during virtual veterinary appointments, 2024
Open Door Veterinary Collective, “Increasing Access to Veterinary Care (AVC) Through Best Practice Guidelines for Veterinary Social Work”, 2023
Steinbach Consulting and Research LLC, “Market Access and Competition in the U.S. Veterinary Service Industry”, 2023
Toronto Humane Society, “A Retrospective Study Comparing Safety and Efficacy of 2-Dose and 3-Dose Melarsomine Protocols in a Shelter Setting", 2023
Tufts University, “Validation and Optimization of a Novel Method to Detect Glucosuria from Urine Voided on Clumping Clay Litter", 2023
University of Tennessee, “Standardized Community Needs Assessments that Include Non-Human Family Members”, 2022
Ohio State University, “Decision Making in the Provision of Accessible Veterinary Care”, 2022
Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association (RIVMA) Companion Animal Foundation, “Comparative Impact of Grants to Veterinarians and Clients on Access to Veterinary Care”, 2022
Mission Animal Hospital, “Spectrum of Care: Quantitative and Qualitative Impact Research”, 2022
Tufts University, “Perineal Urethrostomy as a First-Line Treatment Option in Cats Presenting to the Emergency Room for Urethral Obstruction”, 2022
University of California, Davis, “Incorporating Video Telemedicine for Improved At-Home Management of Chronic Health Conditions in Cats: A Focus on Degenerative Joint Disease”, 2022
Oregon State University, “The Reality of Financial Constraints for Feline Male Lower Urinary Tract Obstructions: Do Complication Rates Outweigh a More Affordable, Outpatient Treatment”, 2021
Purdue University, “Congestive Heart Failure in a Community Medicine Setting: Creation of a Predictive Index and the Use of Sustained Release Isosorbide in Dogs with Congestive Heart Failure Due to Mitral Valve Disease”, 2021
University of Wisconsin, “Fecal Microbial Transplant (FMT) for ParvOvirus in the OutPatient setting (FMT-POOP): A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate a Practical and Low-Cost Intervention”, 2021
Ohio State University, “Evaluating Cost Effectiveness and Outcome of Low-Cost Patient Care and Patient Selection”, 2021
Iowa State University, “Evidence Based Incremental Care Approach to Managing Acute Canine Vomiting”, 2020
University of California, Davis,“Examining the Efficacy of Video Telemedicine for Providing Virtual Health and Behavior Care for Cats”, 2020
Tufts University, “Prevention of GDV by HQHV Veterinarians: A New Opportunity”, 2020
Western University of Health Sciences, “A Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate a Low-Cost Treatment for Cranial Cruciate Ligament Disease”, 2020
Emancipet, “Evidence-Based, Low-Cost Treatment for Common Canine Skin Conditions”, 2020
Cornell University, “A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Resource Efficient Intervention Protocol for Management of Traumatic Wounds in Dogs”, 2020
University of Pennsylvania, “Establishing a Penn Vet Collaboration for Studies in Accessible High Quality Clinical Medicine with a Research Project Examining Metronidazole Treatment in Dogs with Diarrhea”, 2019

Applied Behavior Research

Auburn University, “Identifying differential effects of enrichment on kennel stress based on individual differences in arousal”, 2025
Colorado State University: Identification of biomarkers of chronic stress using a military working dog model, 2024
Regents of the University of California, UC Davis: The impact of pair housing on the behavior of bonded and non-bonded adult shelter cats, 2024
Texas Tech University: Assessing the impacts of enrichment and pharmaceutical interventions on mitigating excessive arousal in shelter dogs, 2024
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, “Using Shelter Suites to Improve the Welfare of Dogs with In-Kennel Conspecific Aggression”, 2023
Michigan State University, “Early Identification and Treatment of Shelter Dogs Exhibiting Maladaptive Coping”, 2022
Wright State University, “Human-interaction-centered enrichment to improve adoption-related behaviors and adoption success in fearful shelter dogs”, 2021

Cruelty Research

Colorado State University: Ascertaining the barriers to effectively addressing animal cruelty and neglect: applying lessons learned from Colorado throughout the US, 2024
Marymount University: Evaluation of the Virginia State Police Training program for animal service officers on reporting animal cruelty to the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), 2024
Houston Humane Society, “Tracking Animal Cruelty Trends to Empower Solutions That Safeguard Our Community Members Against Human and Animal Crime”, 2023
Virginia Commonwealth University, “Developing New Time-Since-Deposition Signatures for Prosecuting Crimes Involving Animal Fighting”, 2023
Thomas Jefferson University, “Professional Responses to Animal Abuse in Childhood: A Mixed-Methods Exploration”, 2022
University of Denver, “Encounters with Animal Maltreatment in Professional Settings: The Experiences of Human Services and Public Service Personnel”, 2022
New York University, “A Preliminary Investigation of Animal Cruelty Reported During the Assessment of Family Maltreatment Incidents”, 2021
University of Denver, “Understanding Animal Control and Humane Law Enforcement Officers’ Perspectives on Community Engagement”, 2021

Farm Animal Welfare Research

Innovate Animal Ag: In-Ovo Sexing Market Research as a Tool to Influence Industry and Consumers, 2024
Purdue University: How the age of pullet introduction to pasture influences lifetime behavior and performance, 2024

Psychological Trauma Research

University of Nebraska at Omaha: Studying the long-term psychological trauma in pets with broken bond, 2025
Colorado State, “Identification of biomarkers of chronic stress in the dog”, 2024
University of Pennsylvania, “Establishing the utility of fecal microbiome, cortisol and IgA as measures of mental distress in shelter dogs”, 2023
University of Nebraska, Omaha, “Salivary α-Amylase as a Biomarker of Stress and a Previous History of Trauma in Pet Dogs”, 2022
University of Nebraska, Omaha, “Precision Care of Canine Behavior Utilizing Non-Invasive Biological Markers of Psychological Trauma”, 2021

Shelter Research

City of Sacramento, “Field-Based Feasibility of Prophylactic Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody Use in High-Risk Puppies from Homeless Encampments in Sacramento”, 2025
University of Wisconsin, Madison, “Is fifteen minutes enough? Quantifying the time needed for daily tasks in animal shelters”, 2025

Questions

For application submission inquiries/technical difficulties, please contact grants@aspca.org
For project-related inquiries about Applied Behavior or Psychological Trauma, please contact bst.research@aspca.org
For project-related inquiries about Access to Veterinary Care or Cruelty Research, please contact ASPCAresearch@aspca.org
For project-related inquiries about Farm Animal Welfare Research, please contact suzanne.mcmillan@aspca.org
For project-related inquiries about Shelter Research, please contact sheltermedicine@aspca.org. If the project has an equine sheltering focus, please contact equinewelfare@aspca.org.