ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation
2025 Pug Research Grant Program Request for Proposals

Deadline: June 30, 2025

The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists’ Vision for Animals Foundation (ACVO-VAF) is a nonprofit organization that invests in science to advance animal ophthalmic health. Thanks to a generous donation from the Pug Dog Club of America, the ACVO-VAF is now calling for proposals for the 2025 Pug Research Grant program. The goal of this research initiative is to promote research efforts on pug pigmentary keratopathy.

Applications are encouraged from academic institutions, private practices, or a collaboration between the two. Collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams of investigators who can approach discovery research from multiple perspectives will be considered a strength. Only one application is permitted from each Principal Investigator.

Funding is available for projects of one- to two- years in duration and must be completed by end of calendar year 2027. Proposals will be evaluated on study design and scientific merit, innovation, feasibility of proposed research, and the potential impact on pug pigmentary keratopathy. The inclusion of power analyses to justify sample size and the inclusion of carefully selected control animals is extremely important and will be considered by reviewers. Projects must adhere to the Guidelines for Ethical Research in Veterinary Ophthalmology (GERVO).

The grant recipient will be required to submit completed study results for presentation at the annual ACVO conference within one year of project completion. Publication of the data in the peer-reviewed literature is encouraged. The VAF may be able to offset open access costs for highly impactful projects. Regular progress reports will be required according to the ACVO-VAF’s terms and conditions.

The award(s) will be a maximum of $10,000. Indirect costs are not allowed. Funding decisions will be made by October 2025.

Application materials can be found here:

2025 Pug Research Grant Instructions
2025 Pug Research Grant Template

Please direct any application questions to the ACVO-VAF Pug Research Grant Chair:
 Dr. Rob Swinger, DVM, DACVO
Email: swingereye@gmail.com