Canine Health Spectrum of Care Clinical Research Program

Overview of the Spectrum of Care Clinical Research Program

Pre-proposals are invited from October 1- December 1, 2025. Grant program information and application instructions can be found on the AVMF website, linked here.

The Clinical Research Program funds projects that identify and evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic protocols to reduce client costs without sacrificing quality health care. It seeks to provide primary care practitioners with additional tools to practice more broadly along the spectrum of care. The Program’s goal is to allow them to serve an economically diverse clientele while maintaining a practice that is professionally, emotionally, and financially rewarding.

Specifically, the Foundation seeks proposals that address common canine presentations and/or allow primary care practitioners to treat cases that he/she currently refers to specialists.

Proposals should meet the following criteria:

  • Canine centric. While the research may benefit other companion animals, dogs must be the primary potential beneficiaries of a successful trial.

  • Broad applicability. The idea must deal with diseases and conditions that are commonly seen in primary care practice either regionally or nationally.

  • Immediate applicability. If the trial is successful, must produce results that are immediately usable by primary care practitioners.

  • Financially sustainable for private practitioner. While all successful proposals will test cost-reducing protocols, the protocol must, if adopted in a standard clinic setting, allow the primary care veterinarian to generate revenue over total expense specific to that protocol.

  • Grant requests up to $150,000 will be considered for funding.

  • Time horizon. Elapsed time from start to finish of the project must be no more than 24 months.