Alternatives for Research and Development Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Alternatives for Research and Development Foundation funds scientists and investigators developing alternative methods to animal testing in scientific research.
IP TAKE: Grantseekers should not write this funder off simply because its main topic of focus appears to be a bit narrow. Developing alternatives to animal testing is actually a broad area. This is an accessible funder with a clear application process. It considers grants to individuals, as well as institutions. You don’t need to be an academic, but you do need to have the appropriate credentials and adhere to the highest ethical standards in the lab.
PROFILE: The Alternatives for Research and Development Foundation (ARDF) was established in 1993 by the funding of William Cave, also former president of the American Anti-Vivisection Society, and his wife Eleanor. The foundation’s overall mission is to help develop “alternatives to animal-based methods in science.” It aims to “work constructively with partners in the science community to bring alternative technology and compassion to modern biomedical research, product testing, and classroom laboratories.” To accomplish its goal, it offers research grants as well as challenges and awards. Since 1993, ARDF has provided over $3.75 million in funds for projects in 29 states and 5 countries.
Grants for Science Research and Animal Welfare
ARDF’s primary giving vehicle is the Research Grants program. These grants fund “research projects that develop alternative methods to advance science and replace or reduce animal use.” Applicants may come from the realms of research, testing and education. To be eligible, researchers must not use “intact, non-human vertebrate or invertebrate animals” in any way in their research. ARDF states that it currently prioritizes projects using pathway-based approaches and “in silico and in vitro methods with human cells or tissues.”
ARDF’s AiR Challenge, similarly, aims to “stimulate innovative research that advances medical progress through the use of methods that do not involve animals.” This program is targeted specifically at biomedical research, as opposed to safety testing and education. In its first year, this challenge awarded $20,000 each to four researchers, but the foundation has announced that its next prize will be up to $350,000 awarded to a single recipient.
ARDF also gives out the William and Eleanor Cave Award. The prize is awarded biennially to an individual recipient—typically a non-researcher—in order to “honor achievements in advancing alternatives to the traditional use of animals in testing, research, or education.”
Important Grant Details:
Research grants are awarded in amounts of up to $40,000, while its AiR Challenge prize varies from year to year between $20,000 and $350,000. ARDF prioritizes nonprofits, universities, and research institutes in the U.S., but the foundation has funded projects in other countries.
This funder accepts applications for funding and posts current application guidelines on its open grant and AiR Challenge pages each year.
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