Skip to Content Skip to Footer
showing hands in the gloves working on the research
WesternU / College of Veterinary Medicine / Research / Intramural Research Funding

Intramural Research Funding

Get engaged. Get involved.

Through matching funds and research grants to travel and research assistant support, the CVM offers robust opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to apply for funding to support research interests and activities. We have the resources to assist you in your lifelong learning and discovery journey, and look forward to supporting you in your future research endeavors!

Please see the available opportunities below– different mechanisms have different application due dates, and different requirements, so please check back regularly, or look for announcements in CVM OFR News & Kudos!

  • CVM Matching Funds Program

    Established 2011
    Purpose: The Western University of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Office For Research Matching Funds Program is to support extramural, competitive research grant proposals by CVM faculty. As such, applicants must submit the Matching Funds request and receive approval prior to submission of any project proposal an external agency. These funds are designed to complement competitive extramural funds and to strengthen proposals.

    Requirements: Applicants must be full-time (100% FTE) CVM Faculty with a research appointment. The funding agency must be an extramural source offering competitive research grants. Faculty may submit for matching funds on multiple projects simultaneously, or in succession, as long as the applicant is in compliance with all previous Matching Fund Program requirements and report obligations. Faculty with outstanding CVM Office for Research Matching Funds agreements must be in compliance with all reports in order to submit for further funding.

    CVM Office For Research Matching Funds Application
    CVM Matching Funds Progress Form
    CVM Matching Funds Program Policy

    (Issues viewing these forms? Try downloading them to your desktop before viewing!)

  • Small Grants for Projects Involving Students *

    * Applications accepted between January 1, and May 1 – Funds must be used by July 31 of the same year 

    Established 2019
    Purpose: The CVM Student Research Grant is designed to encourage students’ involvement in research and offset the cost of such involvement for research mentors. This award provides up to $2,000 toward the research project of a First or Second Year veterinary student mentored by a CVM faculty.

    This mechanism is designed to cover only project related research expenses, such as consumables and reagents. Students participating in these projects may also apply for the Advanced Laboratory Research Student Scholars Program to receive stipends during the academic year. Funded students are expected to present a poster at NVSS at the end of the summer Veterinary Summer Research Program. Students can volunteer their time on these projects. Alternatively, they may receive funding from their mentor’s grants, summer WesternU Part-Time Fellowship, or our College’s Veterinary Summer Research Program. Projects must include hands-on methodology and data collection, but may be relevant to basic or clinical sciences.

    Requirements: Faculty must be full-time faculty in the College of Veterinary medicine– there is a limit of one application per faculty. To be considered eligible to participate, students must be full-time first or second year CVM students in good academic standing. The student would agree to participate in the Veterinary Summer Research Program, at minimum, as a part-time student research scholar and present a poster of their research at the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium (NVSS) that year.

    CVM Student Research Grant Call

  • Equipment Small Grants

    Equipment Small Grants

    Established 2021
    Purpose: To support projects that leverage the use of new / under-used CVM research equipment to strengthen CVM faculty’s applications for extramural competitive funding mechanisms.

    Requirements: These funds are considered CVM-intramural funds and align with previous policies regarding such awards: faculty members applying as PI must hold 100% FTE position in CVM and be engaged in research (defined as allocated research FTE ≥ 20%). Each faculty member may only submit one application as PI for this mechanism. PIs may have concurrent support, except an active small CVM grant (i.e. project not yet completed).

    CVM Call for Equipment Small Grants
    CVM Equipment Small Grants Application
    CVM Equipment Small Grants Rubric

    (Issues viewing these forms? Try downloading them to your desktop before viewing!)

  • CVM Clinical Partnership Matching Grants Program

    Established 2013
    Purpose: In order to foster Clinical Collaborative Research within the CVM and with preceptors and clinical practices, the CVM Office For Research has created the Clinical Partnership Matching Grant Program. This program is designed to assist CVM faculty members in pursuing and supporting collaborative projects with CVM Preceptors and, or other clinics and clinicians. They may also be used to support the research mentoring of interns and, or residents in practice.

    Requirements: PI must be full-time CVM faculty and hold a research FTE of at least 20%; Project must have clinical impact; collaborations with CVM Preceptors are preferred, but other partners are considered; budget must be cost-matched by clinical partner or other sources.

    CVM Clinical Partnering Matching Grant

  • CVM Intramural Competitive Small Grant Proposals

    Established 2016
    Purpose: To support short-term, hypothesis-driven research proposals focusing on research relevant to relevant to the veterinary or biomedical field. The goal of this grant is to support research that will lead the applicants to further their research through extramural funding.

    Requirements: These funds are considered CVM-intramural funds and align with previous policies regarding such awards: faculty members applying as PI must hold 100% FTE position in CVM and be engaged in research (defined as allocated research FTE ≥ 20%). Each faculty member may only submit one application as PI for this mechanism; award must be used within 24 months and submission of an extramural grant within 12 months thereafter.

    The 2021 deadline for proposal submissions for this opportunity is March 1, 2021

    CVM Intramural Competitive Small Grant Call
    CVM Intramural Competitive Small Grant Rubric
    CVM Intramural Competitive Small Grant Application

  • CVM Student and Research Trainee Travel Support: Presenting Research Abstracts At Scientific Meetings

    Established 2014
    Purpose: This program supports CVM and post-doc/graduate students presenting the results of their original research at national or international scientific meetings. Travel support up to $1000 will be allocated from the CVM Office For Research per eligible student with successful application.

    Requirements: CVM students must be enrolled in the CVM curriculum (Year 1 to 4) at the time of presentation; post-doc and graduate students must be enrolled in a formal graduate program at time of presentation; students must have been primarily involved in the project (including data collection and analysis) during their curriculum; the primary mentor of the student must be a current CVM faculty.

    CVM Student Travel Support Program

  • Research Assistantship Program

    Established 2017
    Purpose: The first objective of these positions is to complement the technical support of research performed by CVM faculty engaged in research, and expand options for long-term support of these activities. The second objective is to expand the engagement of CVM in graduate programs, and opportunities for graduate students to be involved in research within our college. It is expected that Research Assistants in this program will concurrently pursue their own research training in the PI’s lab.

    Requirements: Mentor / PI: These funds are considered CVM-intramural funds and align with previous policies regarding such awards: faculty members applying as PI must hold a tenure or tenure-track 100% FTE position in CVM, with allocated research FTE exceeding 20%. The PI must have laboratory space in HEC or RWC, as well as funding to cover research consumables and supplies. Each faculty may only submit 1 application/year. Trainee: Preference will be given to graduate students mentored by the CVM faculty requesting the position. Fellows and post-docs may also be considered. Minimum qualifications include a BS in a relevant field.

    Research Assistant Call

  • CVM Student Support: Summer Internships and Externship at NIH

    Established 2014
    Purpose: This program supports CVM students selected for Summer Internships and Externships at the NIH. Eligible students will receive up $1,000 from the CVM Office For Research to offset travel / living expenses (in addition to the stipend received from NIH).

    Requirements: Students must: be enrolled in the CVM (Year 1 to 4) at the time of presentation; have been primarily involved in the project (including data collection and analysis) during their veterinary curriculum; have worked on the project during their matriculation at CVM. Funds will be provided upon successful completion of the NIH program and presentation of data at the NIH student symposium. Recipients should submit their request, along with a copy of their letter of acceptance to CVM Research (cvmresearch@westernu.edu), as early as possible after notification.

    National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Comparative Biomedical Scientist Training Program Website

    The Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research For Veterinary Medical Students Website

    Past Summer Internship Alumni Experience Website

    Summer Internship Program In Biomedical Research Application Page

  • Section 1433 of NARETPA, Animal Health & Disease Research

    Established 2013. The goal of this grant is to support research that will lead the applicants to further their research through extramural support by USDA

    Purpose: The scope of the research which may be conducted with Section 1433 funds is quite broad. It includes research: to promote the general welfare through improved health and productivity of domestic livestock, poultry, aquatic animals, and other income-producing animals which are essential to the nation’s food supply and the welfare of producers and consumers of animal products; to improve the health of horses; to facilitate the effective treatment of, and where possible, prevent, diseases in both domesticated and wild species which, if not controlled, would be disastrous to the United States animal industries and endanger the Nation’s food supply; to minimize livestock and poultry losses due to transportation and handling; to protect human health through control of animal diseases transmissible to humans; to improve methods of controlling reproduction of predators and other animals; to promote the general welfare through expanded programs of research and extension to improve animal health; in basic and applied studies on infectious and noninfectious agents which impair the normal state of the animal body and/or that affect the performance of vital functions; to monitor the suitability of animals and animal products for human use.

    Requirements: These funds are considered CVM-intramural funds and align with previous policies regarding such awards: faculty members applying as PI must hold a tenure or tenure-track 100% FTE position in CVM with allocated research FTE.

    Note: There is a yearly call for letters of intent due August 1. A call for proposals, based on interest, is sent out later in the Fall.

    CVM Sec 1433 Formula Funds Call for Proposals
    CVM Sec 1433 Formula Funds Rubric
    CVM Sec 1433 Formula Proposals Format

  • Grant Proposal from Research Interest Groups

    The College of Veterinary Medicine, Office for Research is now accepting up one proposal from each of our three Research Interest Groups (RIGs). The goal of these grants is to support Research Interest Groups in fostering scholarship of their members, preferably through initiatives that will benefit most members.

    Up to $10,000 may be requested for use within 12 months of award and submission of a final report detailing outcomes within 6 months after the end of the project. Use of matching funds from other sources is encouraged. Proposals must be endorsed by a RIG and only one proposal can be submitted per group. Proposals will be reviewed on an ongoing basis but must be received by the end of December each year. Award decisions are made early- to mid- January the following year.

    Application Instructions can be found here

    Please direct any questions to Dr. Yvonne Drechsler (ydrechsler@westernu.edu).

  • Research Laboratory Technical Support

    Research Laboratory Technical Support is provided by the Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Veterinary Medicine’s Office for Research to support their researchers. Applications are accepted three times a year, and reminders are sent by the WesternU CVM OFR a month prior to the deadline. Please see the call, and refer to email reminders, for final deadlines. Note: If this is the first year you have been supported by Technical Support, you must also submit a “Tech Support Evaluation” evaluating the performance of your most recent RA along with your support request.

    All researchers interested in technical support should submit a request by completing and returning the a request form (see below), and list specific tasks that you expect completed by the end of the block, unless:

    • You already have a commitment for tech support as part of start‐ups or because you are paying salaries from their grant.
    • You already requested technical support for Fall and Winter. If so, please re-send your previous request.

    Tech Support Request
    Tech Support Evaluation

  • We’re here to help

    Additional Funding is also available on Campus, for more information please contact the Office of Vice President for Research and Biotechnology