Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioner (AAEP) Foundation Past Presidents' Research Fellow. The scholarship is awarded annually to an AAEP-member veterinarian who is beginning a career in equine research. The application deadline is July 30.

Established in 2006, the AAEP Foundation Research Fellow emphasizes the importance of equine research while rewarding researchers for their personal contributions. Acknowledging that there is an increasing need to train future equine veterinary researchers, the Foundation created the Research Fellow to help supplement post-graduate and residency research fellowship salaries and benefits. The scholarship is made possible through the monetary contributions of AAEP past presidents.

"Although it is common for veterinary graduates with an equine interest to pursue residency training in a clinical specialty, it is difficult to get them to the next level of pursuing a career in research and teaching mainly due to economic constraints," said C. Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, chairman of the AAEP Foundation Advisory Committee. "If our knowledge of horse health is going to continue to advance, we must encourage more veterinarians to become researchers."

Ideal candidates for the Research Fellow are graduates of an AVMA-accredited school/college of veterinary medicine who have experience conducting equine research and are nearing completion of a residency or doctoral program. Applicants who are seeking funding for their research project or have secured funding from other organizations are eligible to apply, as the scholarship focuses on supporting the researcher, not the project. To download a copy of the scholarship description and application online, visit the AAEP Foundation's Web site scholarship page