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Morris Animal Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.6M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.1M
Decision Time
4mo

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Morris Animal Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ~$4.6 million (FY2023); $21.2 million total expenses (FY2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed; described as "highly competitive" with demand exceeding available funding
  • Decision Time: Approximately 3–4 months after proposal submission deadline
  • Grant Range: $5,000 (Wildlife Emergency Fund / Pilot Study) to $145,000 (Fellowship Training Grant); Established Investigator grants average ~$50,000–$100,000/year
  • Geographic Focus: Global (excluding sanctioned regions: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Crimea Region of Ukraine)

Contact Details

Overview

Morris Animal Foundation was established in 1948 by veterinarian Dr. Mark L. Morris Sr. and his wife Louise, along with four close friends. Originally called the Buddy Foundation and funded through royalties from Dr. Morris's pioneering prescription animal diets, it became a formal nonprofit in 1969. Today, it is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and is one of the largest nonprofit animal health research organisations in the world. Since its founding, the Foundation has invested nearly $170 million in more than 3,100 studies covering dogs, cats, horses, and wildlife across 300+ species.

The Foundation's mission is to "bridge science and resources to advance the health of animals" through hypothesis-driven, humane scientific research. Total assets stand at approximately $112 million (FY2024), supported by an $82 million endowment. The organisation holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating (96%) and directs approximately 65% of expenses to programme activities. Annual revenue is approximately $14.4 million (FY2024). Grants are awarded through a rigorous Scientific Advisory Board review process widely regarded as the gold standard in the veterinary research community.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Morris Animal Foundation funds research across four primary species categories, each with its own annual Request for Proposals (RFP) cycle. Within each cycle, four grant mechanisms are available:

Grant TypeDurationBudget CapNotes
Established Investigator AwardUp to 36 monthsNo hard cap; average ~$50,000–$100,000/yearRequires prior record of research publication
First AwardUp to 24 monthsTotal max $120,000For new faculty establishing a research programme
Pilot Study GrantUp to 12 monthsTotal max $20,000Funds innovative ideas; preliminary data NOT required
Fellowship Training GrantUp to 24 monthsTotal max $145,000Provides salary support for early-career scientists; DVM and/or PhD required; PhD must have been earned within 4 years of application date

Veterinary Student Scholar Program — up to $5,500 stipend per student for a 10–12 week research project; two nominations permitted per institution per cycle; enrolled veterinary students only; students in combined DVM/PhD programmes or previous VSS recipients are ineligible.

Wildlife Emergency Fund — $5,000 to $50,000 in rapid-response funding for unexpected events such as natural disasters or emerging disease outbreaks affecting wildlife.

Donor-Inspired Studies — Occasional out-of-cycle calls for proposals on specific topics driven by significant donor gifts (e.g., the multi-year, multi-million dollar Hemangiosarcoma Initiative targeting canine cancer).

Indirect costs: The Foundation allows a maximum of 8% indirect costs if charged by the applicant's institution.

Species-Specific RFP Cycles (Approximate Annual Schedule)

  • Canine Health: Spring (recent deadline: April/May)
  • Equid Health: Summer (recent deadline: June/August)
  • Wildlife Health / Fellowship Training: Summer (recent deadline: August)
  • Feline Health: Autumn (recent deadline: October)

Note: exact deadlines change annually. All submissions must be made through the SmartSimple online portal before 4:59 p.m. ET on the deadline date. Applications are not accepted outside of open RFP cycles.

Priority Areas

  • Canine health: cancer, infectious disease, genetics, epidemiology; including use of data and samples from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study (GRLS) — the largest longitudinal canine health study of its kind
  • Feline health: disease prevention, treatment, and welfare for domestic and community cats
  • Equid health: domesticated horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules, including equid behaviour research (supported through a dedicated donor fund)
  • Wildlife health: all wild species globally; since 1967, the Foundation has invested nearly $33 million in more than 820 wildlife health studies
  • Research with translational potential: collaborative proposals between academia and industry are especially encouraged for canine studies
  • Emerging animal health threats that endanger entire species
  • Studies advancing diagnostics, treatments, preventives, vaccines, and surgical techniques

What They Do Not Fund

  • Human health research
  • Agricultural or livestock animal health research
  • Research activities involving individuals or financial transactions in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, or the Crimea Region of Ukraine
  • Proposals that involve euthanasia of animals for research purposes
  • Projects that deviate from the Foundation's Health Study Policy for Animals Involved in Research
  • Rolling or unsolicited applications outside of an open RFP cycle
  • "Parachute science" — research occurring in a country other than the student's enrolment country without a local mentor from that country
  • Applications where the lead applicant has held a PhD for more than 4 years (for Fellowship Training Grants)

Governance and Leadership

Senior Leadership

  • Ike Nicoll, CEO (appointed July 2025) — Brings more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, technology, and strategic growth. Previously CEO of US Retina and Cancer Clinics of Excellence. On joining the Foundation, Nicoll stated: "I'm honored to join Morris Animal Foundation and build on its legacy of science-driven impact. There are few organizations with such a powerful combination of purpose, credibility and potential for global influence in animal health."

Board of Trustees

The Foundation has 23 fully independent board members. The board met twice in the year ended 30 June 2024. Notable recent additions include:

  • Dr. Kristin Bloink — Vice President of Global Research and External Innovation, Elanco Animal Health; 26+ years experience bridging human and veterinary medicine
  • Ajay Gopal — CEO and Co-Founder of Rx Studio, a digital health and personalised medication technology platform

Scientific Advisory Boards (SABs)

Each species RFP is supported by a dedicated SAB composed of approximately 90 volunteer scientists and veterinarians who are global experts in their respective areas. The SAB review process is widely recognised as a model duplicated by other institutions and considered the gold standard in veterinary research. Obtaining a Morris Animal Foundation grant is regarded as a major career achievement for animal health researchers.

The Foundation also maintains an Animal Welfare Advisory Board (AWAB) that independently reviews all proposals recommended for funding to ensure animal welfare standards are met before final approval.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

All applications are submitted through the Foundation's online grants portal, SmartSimple, accessed via morrisanimalfoundation.org/apply. Applications are only accepted during open RFP cycles — there is no rolling application process.

Step-by-step process:

  1. Monitor the Foundation's website and/or press releases for the opening of the relevant RFP (canine, feline, equid, or wildlife).
  2. Register on the SmartSimple portal; allow 2–3 business days for account activation.
  3. Download and read the full RFP proposal guidelines for the relevant species/grant type.
  4. Complete all sections of the proposal using the provided template; upload the budget as a separate Excel document.
  5. Submit before 4:59 p.m. ET on the deadline date.

For canine proposals using GRLS data or samples: Contact the Foundation at least one week before the RFP deadline to coordinate access.

For resubmissions: A three-page Resubmission Summary responding to reviewer comments must be included, along with a copy of the original review.

Decision Timeline

Applicants are notified of the status of their proposal approximately 3–4 months after the proposal submission deadline. The review process follows these stages:

  1. Administrative review: Foundation staff check for guideline compliance and completeness; non-compliant proposals are rejected at this stage with specific reasons stated.
  2. Initial screening: Proposals passing administrative review are screened for scientific merit and animal health impact.
  3. Full SAB review: Qualifying proposals are scored and ranked by the relevant Scientific Advisory Board.
  4. Research Oversight Committee and Board of Trustees approval: Ranked proposals are subject to final board approval.
  5. Animal Welfare Advisory Board review: All proposals recommended for funding undergo a separate animal welfare review before funds are released.

Success Rates

No specific acceptance rate is published. The Foundation consistently describes its grants as "highly competitive" and states that it receives "many more requests for grant funding than it is able to fulfill." In FY2023, approximately 27 awards were made; in FY2022, approximately 30 awards were made.

Reapplication Policy

  • Applicants may submit a maximum of two applications as Principal Investigator per year across all RFPs.
  • A proposal that is not approved for funding may be resubmitted a maximum of two times (for a maximum of three total submissions of the same proposal).
  • Resubmissions must include a Resubmission Summary (three-page limit) addressing reviewer comments, plus a copy of the original review.
  • There is no published mandatory waiting period before resubmission.
  • For specific guidance contact [email protected].

Application Success Factors

The Foundation's documented guidance and review criteria point to several clear factors that distinguish successful proposals:

1. Strict adherence to RFP formatting and guidelines The single most common cause of rejection is guideline deviation. The Foundation performs an administrative check on every submission; proposals that fail to follow page limits, use the correct template, or provide all required sections are rejected before scientific review. As the guidelines state: "Deviations from these guidelines or template may result in rejection of your proposal."

2. Clear hypothesis-driven framing Proposals must present a specific, testable hypothesis with clearly stated scientific objectives. Research that is exploratory without a defined hypothesis is less competitive. The Foundation explicitly funds "hypothesis-driven and humane animal health research projects of high scientific merit and potential impact."

3. Demonstrated animal health need and impact The SAB evaluates proposals on their significance to animal health. Applicants must clearly describe the health problem, its prevalence, and how their study will advance diagnosis, treatment, or prevention. Impact is assessed alongside scientific quality.

4. Robust animal welfare justification Every proposal undergoes a separate animal welfare review. Proposals that do not fully address animal sentience, include justification for all procedures, and demonstrate consideration of animals' physical and psychological wellbeing will not be funded. Proposals involving euthanasia for research purposes are not eligible.

5. Appropriate sample size and statistical rigour Successful proposals include appropriate sample size calculations and a fully justified budget. Pilot Study grants — which do not require preliminary data — are explicitly designed for innovative or early-stage ideas where researchers can demonstrate feasibility without existing results.

6. Accessible lay summary The lay summary must achieve a Flesch Reading Ease Score of 50–70. The Foundation requires applicants to verify this using a free readability checker before submission. The lay summary should not duplicate the technical abstract.

7. For canine grants: academia-industry collaboration Morris Animal Foundation explicitly welcomes collaborative proposals between academia and industry for canine health research, noting that such partnerships can accelerate translation of findings into real-world applications.

8. Awareness of geographic and sector boundaries Proposals touching on human health outcomes or agricultural animal health are rejected. Researchers working internationally must ensure no financial transactions occur in sanctioned regions.

9. Recent funded examples:

  • Hemangiosarcoma Initiative: Eight studies funded in 2023 following the first call; a second round was planned for 2025, with a researcher/donor gathering in June 2025.
  • Equid grants: Nearly $1 million awarded across 14 projects in large animal health research in one recent cycle, including a study at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center.
  • Veterinary Student Scholars: 28 students awarded globally in the 2025 cycle.
  • Wildlife: Nearly $33 million invested in 820+ wildlife health studies since 1967, including mountain gorilla healthcare in Rwanda.

10. Early portal registration The SmartSimple portal requires 2–3 business days for account activation. Applicants should register well in advance of the deadline to avoid last-minute technical barriers.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Scope is strictly defined: Morris Animal Foundation funds only canine, feline, equid, and wildlife health research. Human health outcomes and livestock/agricultural topics are explicitly excluded. Any proposal that conflates animal and human health benefits risks rejection.
  • Timing is critical: There is no rolling application process. Grants are only available during four annual species-specific RFP windows. Missing a cycle means waiting a full year.
  • Formatting compliance is non-negotiable: Administrative rejection for guideline deviations is the most common failure point. Read the RFP guidelines for the specific species and grant type, use the provided templates, and verify every requirement before submitting.
  • Animal welfare is a co-equal criterion: The Animal Welfare Advisory Board independently reviews all proposals that pass scientific review. Animal welfare justification is not a box-ticking exercise — it is a substantive and separate review stage.
  • Pilot Study grants are accessible to early-stage researchers: Preliminary data are not required for Pilot Study grants (max $20,000 / 12 months), making this mechanism ideal for researchers testing novel ideas or building toward larger applications.
  • Resubmission is structured: Unsuccessful applicants can resubmit up to twice (three total submissions). A formal Resubmission Summary addressing reviewer comments is required — this is an opportunity to directly engage with SAB feedback.
  • For canine research, GRLS is a strategic asset: The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study's extensive dataset and biorepository is a funded resource the Foundation actively promotes for use in canine health proposals. Applicants who design studies around GRLS data should contact the Foundation at least one week before the deadline.

References

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