Deadline: January 1, 2023
Applications are open for the Wild Animal Initiative (WAI) Fellowship Programme 2023. Fellowships are offered to individuals to conduct wild animal welfare research that is explicitly focused on combining animal welfare and the study of wild animals.
Wild animal welfare is an inherently interdisciplinary field of inquiry. Unfortunately, many wildlife scientists are not exposed to advances in the welfare sciences, and vice versa. Wild Animal Initiative (WAI) has heard from early career researchers working in both domains that they wish they had more opportunities to learn about the other — for example, animal welfare scientists who feel their training did not provide them grounding in fieldwork, or ecologists who don’t know how welfare can be assessed or measured. WAI is excited to provide a new fellowship programme that addresses this gap.
Programme Tracks
- Track 1: Fellow and Mentor Apply Together
Applicants should propose a project that explicitly combines animal welfare and the study of wild animals. Applicants should identify a desired host institution and a suggested mentor/advisor(s) before submitting a proposal. Mentors can be from any institution but applicants should confirm with Wild Animal Initiative whether their selected mentor and institution are among the pre-approved mentors and host groups/institutions, in preparing their application. Wild Animal Initiative will evaluate the applicant, the project, and the proposed host university and mentor for suitability.- Note – If applying through Track 1, both the Principal Investigator (mentor) and the individual submitting the application (fellow), must be involved in the application process.
- Track 2: Fellow applies with a project idea; Wild Animal Initiative helps identify mentor/host institution
Applicants should propose a project that explicitly combines animal welfare and the study of wild animals. Wild Animal initiative will evaluate the proposed project and will suggest an appropriate host institution and mentor. - Track 3: Fellow applies for a fellowship to work with a pre-approved mentor on a predefined project
Applicants should review the projects available and submit an application identifying the project of interest. Track 3 is not yet available, but coming soon.
Benefits
- They offer a stipend of up to $60,000 USD per year for salary and living expenses. Eligible candidates can request an additional allowance of up to $25,000 USD per year for field work, consumables and other research related costs.
Eligibility
- Open to applicants at an early-career stage (postdoctoral researchers or anyone within 5 years of receiving a PhD), interested in pursuing a long-term research career in wild animal welfare.
- They particularly encourage applications from communities underrepresented in the sciences, including but not limited to people of color, people of the global south, self-identified women, and non-binary individual.
Application
To submit an application, submit the following materials through the online Fellowship EoI form:
- Your CV
- A brief explanation of your career plans.
- A brief statement of your interest in wild animal welfare.
- A 1-2 page concept note outlining the details of your proposed project.
- A brief explanation of how you and your key collaborators are qualified for the proposed project.
- Required for Track 1 applicants only: Letter of Support from your proposed advisor and their CV uploaded as one file (Only required if you know the host institution and/or advisor). In the letter your proposed advisor should address the advisor selection criteria.
For more information, visit Wild Animal Initiative Fellowship.