June 12, 2015 Contact: Sally J. Baker, APR sbaker@aaep.org
Applications are being accepted until Aug. 1, 2015, for the 2015 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation Past Presidents' and EQUUS Foundation Research Fellows. These annual scholarships are awarded to AAEP-member veterinarians who are beginning careers in equine research. Each recipient will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship during the AAEP's 61st Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nev., December 5–9, 2015. 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. Acknowledging the increasing need to train future equine veterinary researchers, the Foundation created the research fellows to 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 Jeff Berk, VMD, 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.
To download a copy of the scholarship descriptions and applications, visit the scholarships page of the AAEP Foundation's website at www.aaepfoundation.org.
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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 million to support its mission. The EQUUS Foundation (http://www.equusfoundation.org), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 2002, mission is to improve the quality of life of horses, promote the use of horses to enrich the lives of those in need, and educate the public about the horse's unique ability to empower, teach and heal.