HRC's Grassroots Research Fund

 

The Humane Research Council is thrilled to announce the opening of our new Grassroots Research Fund for small animal groups!


The next deadline to apply for a pro bono research project is January 1st, 2012. Please see below for details and thank you for applying!

What is the Grassroots Research Fund?

Announced in November 2010, HRC’s Grassroots Research Fund helps bring the power of information to small animal advocacy groups that normally cannot afford to carry out research projects. Following an application process, we work with grassroots organizations to help them better understand their target audience, evaluate their campaigns, or conduct other important research to improve their efforts to save more animals. See the bottom of this page for a few example projects. The Grassroots Research Fund is made possible by the generosity of both foundations and individual donors. All contributions are used exclusively to support grassroots research for animals.

How does it Work?

HRC will provide 100% pro bono research services for two or more small animal groups per year, depending on the amount of contributions to the Grassroots Research Fund. Organizations that meet the eligibility requirements (see below) are invited to apply for research support. Proposals are accepted year-round and are reviewed by HRC twice per year; proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered until the next review period.

The application deadlines are July 1st and January 1st of each year. Following a review period of up to six weeks, HRC will rank all of the proposals and select one project as our first priority for the Grassroots Research Fund. We will notify the selected organization and begin work immediately. Projects that are not selected initially may be kept in queue and undertaken as time and resources permit. HRC will continue to seek contributions to the Grassroots Research Fund and support as many small animal groups as possible.

Eligibility

The Grassroots Research Fund is open to small organizations working on any animal protection issue, including advocacy of vegetarianism and veganism. When selecting proposals, our emphasis will be on action-oriented results. While HRC regularly conducts research to expand general knowledge about attitudes toward animal issues, the Grassroots Research Fund will be focused on projects that are of immediate use to the applicants’ advocacy campaigns and projects. All proposals must demonstrate a planned application of the research.

To qualify for the Grassroots Research Fund, applicants must be a nonprofit organization (501(c)3 status not required) with an annual budget of less than $250,000; priority will be given to smaller organizations. We will consider projects that can be completed with a budget of $5,000 or less and within a period of one year from the start date. If you need guidance regarding cost or time feasibility, please contact us. Also contact HRC if you have any questions about eligibility or feedback on the requirements for us to consider if we revise them in the future.

Additional eligibility requirements include:

  • Applicants must have been actively involved in animal advocacy for at least 2 years prior to applying for Grassroots Research Funds.
  • Applicants must be based in the United States (we may broaden the scope in the future).
  • Applicants must have a defined project with clear goals and objectives that define the desired outcomes and impact.
  • Applicants must be willing to devote a substantial amount of person-hours to the project on a regular basis to help with planning and project tasks.
  • Applicants must be willing to share non-proprietary research results so HRC can make them available to other animal advocates.
  • Applicants must be willing to conduct a project evaluation upon completion of any research and to consider using the project for an HRC case study.

Selection Process

HRC is dedicated to choosing proposals on the basis of their potential impact to the applicant group as well as the animal protection movement in general. We are also dedicated to a transparent application and selection process. HRC’s Executive Director and Research Director will review all proposals and eliminate any that do not meet all of the eligibility requirements listed above or are unfeasible given the budget and timeframe allowed.

All eligible proposals will then be shared with HRC’s team of board members and advisors, who will collectively gauge the potential impact of the proposed research project. Eligible and feasible projects will be ranked according to their potential impact. Should any two projects be ranked the same, HRC will use a lottery process to select the “winner.”

Timing

Proposals are accepted year-round and are reviewed by HRC twice per year; proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered until the next review period. The application deadlines are July 1st and January 1st of each year.

How to Apply

To apply for research support from HRC’s Grassroots Research Fund, please click here to download the application. (PDF file, 147 kb)

Proposals must be received by July 1, 2011 to be considered for the first review period. The next review will occur after the deadline of January 1, 2012.


Please note that HRC reserves the right to change these eligibility, application and selection requirements at any time in the future.



Project Examples

Early in our history, HRC completed a project for The Fund for Animals to help them improve their anti-fur messaging and advertising. HRC conducted a series of informal focus groups to evaluate various messages and ads against wearing fur. We found that using images of coyotes and bobcats was most effective because they evoke thoughts of domesticated dogs and cats. On the other hand, using images of chinchillas or rabbits did not resonate as some people view these animals as unattractive or as "pests." You can go here to see the report from this project.

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HRC helped the Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P) complete an important study on the disparities in healthy food access (including vegan/vegetarian foods) in Santa Clara County, California. F.E.P. works to create a more just and sustainable world by helping people recognize the power of their food choices. HRC designed a detailed survey of food locations, trained F.E.P.’s volunteers to collect the data, and analyzed the results. The entirely pro bono study demonstrated, among other things, that higher-income communities have far greater access to healthy foods than those living in lower-income communities. This includes access to vegan and vegetarian foods, which are in short supply in low-income areas. The report can be downloaded here.

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HRC has also worked with a number of other organizations to provide pro bono consultation and research, including the Vancouver Humane Society, Footloose Montana, the National Council for Animal Protection, Vegan Outreach, and many others. We will consider a wide variety of projects for the Grassroots Research Fund, including research design, data collection, statistical analysis, and providing training to help organizations conduct more research on their own.


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