The Alpaca Research Foundation (ARF) was established in 1998 by the Alpaca Registry Incorporated as a non-profit organization to provide funding to qualified investigators for alpaca-related scientific research that will benefit alpaca breeders on national and international levels. Some areas of current research interest are outlined below. However, ARF welcomes all proposals dealing with important aspects of alpaca health, husbandry, genetics and fiber.
Health: ARF is seeking proposals to a) study the prevention, early detection and treatment of disorders that are significant problems in alpacas including, but not limited to, meningeal worm and other parasites, reproductive disorders, bovine viral diarrhea (BVDV) and other infectious diseases; b) validate thyroid testing and c) assess pharmacokinetics of drugs that might be useful for the treatment of alpacas.
Husbandry: In the area of husbandry, ARF is seeking proposals to establish optimal nutritional requirements of the alpaca, including trace minerals and vitamins at various stages of growth and development.
Genetics: In the area of genetics, ARF is seeking proposals to identify traits in the alpaca that may be amenable to testing by linkage analysis.Fiber: In the area of fiber, ARF is seeking proposals to identify objective measures of fleece character and to determine the influence of genetic and environmental factors on those measures.
ARF encourages but does not require collaborative studies between institutions and researchers.
Pre-Proposals are due November 1, 2007 and should be sent electronically to:
Patricia Craven, PhD
One signed hard copy should also be sent to:
Patricia Craven, PhD
1491 Donahue Rd
Creekside, PA 15732
In January 2008 the ARF board will invite investigators of top-ranking pre-proposals to submit full-scale proposals. It is not necessary to submit a pre-proposal to be eligible to submit a full proposal. The deadline for submission of full proposals is April 1, 2008. The earliest funding date is Sept 1, 2008.
Following is the pre-proposal grant application form. We would also appreciate your forwarding this information to others with expertise in and an interest in alpaca research, and/or providing the names and addresses of such individuals to us at the Alpaca Research Foundation.
We look forward to hearing from and working with you in the future. If you have any questions about the grant application, feel free to contact any member of the ARF Board of Directors.
Sincerely,
Patricia A. Craven, PhD
ARF Board Director
Alpaca Research Foundation (ARF)
Pre-Proposal Application
rev 7/07
Submission:
Pre-Proposals are due November 1. Successful applicants will be notified in January and invited to submit a full proposal. The deadline for full proposals is April 1. The earliest funding date is September 1.
Please submit pre-proposals electronically to Patricia Craven at alpacone@hughes.net .
One signed hard copy should also be sent to:
Patricia Craven, PhD
1491 Donahue Rd
Creekside, PA 15732
Grant Proposal Format
1) Cover Page - see format .
2) Hypothesis
3) Objectives
4) Preliminary Data-Summarize any work that you have performed that supports the feasibility of the proposed work.
5) Significance-Briefly describe the importance of the proposed study, relevance of the study to ARF's interests and how your approach will provide new information on the problem..
6) Experimental Design and Interpretation-Explain what results are expected and how they will be interpreted with respect to the study objectives. For clinical studies, document availability of sufficient case material. Multi-centered investigations may be necessary to provide sufficient case material.
7) Materials and Methods -.Briefly describe the methods that will be used and provide relevant references to the literature.
8) Statistical Analysis-Explain how you determined the number of animals required for each group and how the data will be analyzed.
9) Resources Available-Describe equipment and space which are available to support the proposed project.
10) Literature Cited
11) Budget A detailed budget should be included. Justify all expenses.
Length of Pre-Proposal
The main body of the proposal, Parts 2-9, cannot exceed two (2) single spaced typed 8.5 X 11 inch pages, having 1 inch margins and using a 10-12 point font. Number all pages sequentially starting with the cover page. An additional one page can be used for literature citations.
ARF-PRE-PROPOSAL COVER PAGE
Principle Investigator (PI) Information
Name: ____________________________ Title: ____________________________
Institutional Affiliation: __________________________________________________
Address:______________________________________________________________
Phone :____ ______________________ Fax: _____________________________
E-mail: _______________________________________________________________
Project Title :
_____________________________________________________________________
Research Location:
_____________________________________________________________________
Names, Affiliations and Addresses of Collaborating Researchers:
__________________________________ ______________________________________
__________________________________ ______________________________________
__________________________________ ______________________________________
__________________________________ ______________________________________
Total Amount Requested: _________________ Project Period:____________
Will the proposed project involve the use of live animals. If so please provide the following information:
Veterinarian’s Name: ________________________________________________
Veterinarian’s Address:________________________________________________
Veterinarian’s Phone/Fax: ______________________________________________
By signing below I certify that I am the principle investigator, and that all information in this application is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I agree to accept responsibility for the scientific conduct of the project and also agree to the terms and conditions of funding by ARF, as outlined under Policies and Procedures.
PI Signature: __________________________________________________Date_________