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Grants & Awards

The following grants and awards are available to our CGS members in the year 2023/24:

Application Deadlines

Program Submission Deadline
CGS/Royal Canin USA Professional Development Awards for GUTSEA 2025 travel October 15th, 2025
CGS/Royal Canin USA Research Grant December 15, 2024
CGS/Royal Canin USA Professional Development Awards for a research meeting (ie. Digestive Disease Week) – PAST January 15th, 2024
CGS/IDEXX Veterinary Student Summer Scholar Award – PAST February 1st, 2024

PLEASE NOTE:

All CGS-sponsored grants/awards will now require a progress report due within 2 months of completion of the program for summer veterinary student awards and within 1 year of funding for CGS research grant awards. Please refer to the specifics of your grant / award for details, or contact our At-Large (Education) member for more information.

CGS/Royal Canin USA Professional Development Awards for GUTSEA 2025 travel

Awards are only available to CGS members-in-training with good membership status. Members-in-training include members in a clinical or post-graduate training program, including interns, residents and graduate students. Members who are already board-certified in any specialty are not eligible, even if enrolled in a graduate training program.

Three to four awards will be offered, for interns, residents or graduate students. Awards will be $1500 each.

Application:

  • Current CV for applicant
  • A brief abstract of what the trainee intends to present at the meeting. Eligible presentations include an ongoing or future research project, a case report, or topic relevant to the GI field for group discussion
  • A paragraph statement about how the award will further the trainee’s career

Send application materials to karin.allenspach@uga.edu.

Submission Deadline: October 15th, 2024

Funding Decision: October 31st, 2024

CGS/Royal Canin USA Research Grant

Submission Deadline:  December 15th, 2024

Funding Decision:  February 1st, 2025

Total amount available: $12,000 (no indirect costs)

The Board of the Comparative Gastroenterology Society (CGS) is pleased to announce the CGS/Royal Canin Research grant for 2024/25.  Applications are now being solicited for proposals in veterinary and comparative gastroenterology. The proposed project must have clinical application in a veterinary species. Also, studies must conform to the ethical principles of Waltham (see below). Informed owner consent must be obtained from all participants in a clinical trial. Prior to funding these ethical principles must be addressed.

CGS members in training in good standing (i.e., dues must have been paid for the current membership year) are eligible to apply (with their mentor serving as the institutional principal investigator; the mentor must also be a CGS member in good standing). Members in training are defined as members that are in a clinical or post-graduate training program. However, members who are already board-certified in any specialty will not be eligible for membership-in-training status, even if they are currently enrolled in a graduate program.

The maximum dollar amount for this grant is $12,000 (no indirect costs will be paid by the CGS and no more than 10% of the grant may be used for travel to a major meeting to present the study results). Submissions must be received by e-mail (attachment) by December 15, 2024. Please send your submission to Karin Allenspach, the at-large member of the CGS Board (karin.allenspach@uga.edu).

The proposal should be accompanied by a cover letter (e-mail attachment) that details the eligibility of the applicant to receive this grant. Proposals will be reviewed by members of the CGS Board and other volunteer CGS members. The winner will be announced by February 1, 2024. Grants are generally 1-year but no-cost extensions of up to 6 months will be considered.

A final report must be submitted to the secretary of the CGS by the end of the term of the grant.

Proposal guidelines are attached below. Proposals must be limited to five pages (the title page is not included in the 5-page limit). Review emphasis will be placed on a quality proposal with clear and concise objectives, well-planned methods, relevance to the CGS, and a reasonable budget. The Board does not provide written reviews or commentaries to applicants regarding their proposals.

If your project involves live vertebrate animals or recombinant DNA, you will need to seek the appropriate institutional approvals. We strongly suggest that you seek institutional approval for your project while the proposal is under review so you can submit a copy of the fully approved clearance letter(s) before the funding is released.

Please send email questions to karin.allenspach@uga.edu.

PROJECT PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

Grant proposals that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be reviewed.
You must limit proposals to 5 pages (title page and literature citations are not included in this page limit). The grant proposal must be prepared as a word document (12 pt. Times New Roman, letter-sized pages, double-spaced with 1 inch margins all around). Each investigator must also attach a Biographical Sketch (not to exceed 2 pages; not included in the page-limit). Please include submitted or approved consent forms (not included in the page limit). Proposals should be structured as follows:

A. Proposal Signature Cover Page

  1. Title: A brief specific designation of the subject of the research topic. The title should reflect the objectives and scope of the proposal. Accurately describe the research contemplated in 80 spaces or less.
  2. Principal Investigator‘s name, address, telephone number, FAX number, and e-mail address
  3. Co-Investigator’(s) name, address, telephone number, FAX number, and e-mail address
  4. Total grant amount requested: The maximum dollar amount for this grant is $12,000.00. No indirect costs will be paid by CGS. No more than 10% (or $1200) can be allocated toward travel to a meeting for presentation of the study results.
  5. Duration: Grants are generally 1-year but no-cost extensions of up to 6 months will be considered.

B. Project Proposal Narrative

  1. Introduction and Justification
    This section should include the subject, purpose, scope, and justification of the research proposal. The justification should present the importance of the problem to CGS. Identification of needs that the project will fulfill, research timeliness, and ways in which the public welfare or scientific knowledge will be advanced are useful inclusions.
  2. Previous Work and Present Outlook
    A review of the literature pertinent to the field of inquiry should be presented. Consider the project within the context of the most important and recent publications. Summarize the status of current research and describe the additional knowledge, which the project is expected to provide. Literature citations must be listed at the end of the project proposal.
  3. Hypothesis and Objectives
    Clear, complete, and logically arranged (outline form) statements of the specific results to be achieved by the proposal.
  4. Procedures and Methods
    A statement of the essential working plans and methods to be used in attaining each of the stated objectives. The procedures must correspond to the objectives and follow the same order. Phases of the work to be undertaken should be indicated, as well as the location of the work and the facilities and equipment needed and available. Wherever appropriate, the procedure should provide data suitable for statistical analysis. The statement of procedure should illustrate that the research has been carefully planned and should provide for changes when they are necessary to improve the work.
  5. Expected Outcome and Clinical Implications
  6. Assurance of Informed Consent and the Use and Care of Animal
    1. Prior to submission, the proposal must be submitted to a local governing body whose function is the regulation of animals in research [e.g., Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)]. When an IACUC is unavailable, the principal investigator must either establish an appropriate institutional collaboration or seek review from a willing institution that has an established IACUC. Non-academic principal investigators are strongly encouraged to contact appropriate CGS members in academia early in order to establish such collaborations. Only the principal investigator and the mentor must be a CGS member; collaborators do not need to be CGS members.
    2. All animal care and use procedures, and informed consent procedures, shall meet or exceed the guidelines set forth in the U.S. government’s Animal Welfare Act (Title 9 CFR Subchapter A – Animal Welfare) and the National Research Council’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (1996), and/or further required regional regulations. CGS board members will assess the proposal’s conformity with the additional ethical requirements set forth by Waltham as follows:
      Research must not result in pain, suffering, or euthanasia of any animals involved. The husbandry and care of animals should meet the minimum guidance as described in the following reports for dogs and cats, respectively:

      1. Dogs: BVAAWF/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW report on Refining Dog Husbandry and Care (Laboratory Animals 2004 Vol. 38; Suppl. 1), which can be found at: http://www.lal.org.uk/pdffiles/Dogworkingparty.pdf
      2. Cats: the guidelines for cats adopted by the European Community (European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes (ETS No. 123 Appendix A)), which can be found at http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/EN/Treaties/PDF/123-Arev.pdf
        The following types of studies will not be supported: studies where the outcome is not likely to have some benefit to animal welfare, studies where the study techniques are generally recognized to cause pain or require a
        general anesthetic to prevent pain, studies that are detrimental to the long-term health of animals involved, or result in the euthanasia of the trial animals, either as a result of the work or as a result of legislation governing the research trials, and studies that use in vivo techniques where meaningful data can be obtained using in vitro techniques.
      3. Proposals must be submitted with details of the procedures and forms to be used to assure “informed client consent” regarding participation of client-owned animals.
      4. Prior to funding, the CGS must receive notice that the proposed animal care and use protocol has been approved by the participating IACUC. In addition, the principle investigator will furnish any revisions to informed client consent procedures and any additional forms that have been deemed necessary for approval by CGS board members.
  7. Budget (included in 5-page limit)
    No indirect costs will be paid by the CGS.
    No more than 10% (or $1200) can be allocated toward travel to a meeting for presentation of the study results.
    ****Below is not included in the 5-page limit:
  8. Cooperation
    A statement as to cooperation with other practices, institutions, or agencies cooperating formally or informally on the proposal where appropriate.
  9. Literature Cited
    List the references cited according to the Guidelines to Authors presented in the American Journal of Veterinary Research.
  10. Biographical Sketch(es)
    Each investigator must also attach a biographical sketch (not to exceed 2 pages; not included in the page-limit).
    ***Please email your completed grant proposal to Dr. Karin Allenspach (karin.allenspach@uga.edu), the at-large member of the CGS board, no later than December 15, 2024****

CGS/Royal Canin USA Professional Development Awards for a research meeting (such as Digestive Disease Week)

Submission Deadline:  January 15th, 2024

Funding Decision:  March 1st, 2024

The Board of the Comparative Gastroenterology Society (CGS) is pleased to announce the CGS/Iams-Eukanuba Professional Development Awards – Digestive Disease Week (DDW) Travel Awards. Digestive Disease Week is the world’s largest and most prestigious gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, pancreatology, endoscopy, and gastrointestinal surgery. Every year it attracts more than 14,000 physicians, researchers and academics from around the world who desire to stay up-to-date in the field. As always, DDW promises to be very exciting and the CGS Board would like to encourage everyone to attend this excellent meeting. For more information please visit www.ddw.org.  Although these awards are named the DDW Travel Awards, it is left to the applicant to select an internationally recognized gastroenterology research meeting for participation. However, continuing education meetings are not eligible.

CGS members in training (must be in good standing, i.e., dues are currently paid up) are eligible to apply for these CGS/Iams-Eukanuba Professional Development Awards. There will be two Travel Awards for up to $1500 each. If you are a CGS member, please encourage your mentees to attend this meeting and apply for a DDW Travel award. If you are a CGS member in training and you would like to attend DDW this year, please send your application to Karin Allenspach, the at-large member of the CGS Board (allek@iastate.edu.) by e-mail attachment by January 15th 2024, which is the submission deadline. The application shall include your current CV and a letter that explains how this meeting would benefit your career. Applicants should specify the status of their training and how many years they have completed of the total number of years of their program. Previous winners of a CGS Travel Award are not eligible for re-application.

Proposals will be reviewed by members of the CGS Board and other volunteer CGS members. Two awards will be given as follows: 1) one award for a member in training in their first year of clinical training (i.e., a first year resident or intern) and, 2) one award for a member late in their clinical training program or in research training. If one of the two award categories does not receive any applications or if the Board decides that none of the applicants should receive the award in that category, then the Board can decide to transfer the award to a second person in the other category for that one year. The Board is interested in funding candidates who express and/or demonstrate interest in a future career in GI clinical and/or research areas.

CGS/Royal Canin USA Professional Development Awards for GutSki 2024 travel :

Submission deadline: September 15th, 2023

Funding decision: October 1st, 2023

CGS/Royal Canin USA Professional Development Awards for the research meeting (such as Digestive Diseases Week; DDW) in 2024 :

Submission deadline: January 15th, 2024

Funding decision: February 1st, 2024

Winners will need to submit a report to the secretary of the CGS for publication in the CGS newsletter after the meeting.

Please send questions to allek@iastate.edu.

CGS/IDEXX Veterinary Student Summer Scholar Award

Awards are available for a mentor (who is a CGS member in good standing) and a first or second year veterinary student team. The mentor must identify a student who is willing to work on a 12-week research project in the field of veterinary or comparative gastroenterology. The mentor must agree to provide a supportive learning atmosphere with consistent supervision and direction given to the student. The student must commit to working full-time on the research project including attending all laboratory and research meetings.

The maximum dollar amount for each award is $9,000. No indirect costs will be paid by CGS. $6,081 should be allocated for a stipend for the student (based on NIH guidelines for stipends), $2,919 is to be allocated for consumables by the mentor.

Note: if an abstract from the project is accepted for presentation at the ACVIM forum, CGS will provide up to an additional $1500 in travel support for the student.

Proposal guidelines are attached.

Submission deadline: February 1, 2024

Funding decision: February 28, 2024

Please submit applications to: allek@iastate.edu.

Application Process:

A CGS member in good standing (i.e., dues must be currently paid up), who is interested and willing to serve as a mentor, should identify a first or second year veterinary student willing to work in an area of mutual research interest in veterinary or comparative gastroenterology. A mentor must agree to provide a supportive learning atmosphere with consistent supervision and direction given to the student. The student must commit to working full-time on the research project including attending all laboratory and research meetings. The mentor must make sure that they will be in town for the majority of the summer research period and will arrange for supervision during any absences. The program provides a 12 week hands-on research experience for students with all levels of research background.

The faculty mentor and student will write a research application of no more than 3 pages to be submitted to Karin Allenspach, the at-large member of the CGS Board (allek@iastate.edu.).  Proposals longer than 3 pages will not be reviewed and will be disqualified on that basis; please note that the title page and reference page are NOT included in the 3 page limit. Proposals will be reviewed by members of the CGS Board and other volunteer CGS members. The proposed project must have clinical application in a veterinary species. Please delineate the exact responsibilities of the student in the application.  If the project involves live vertebrate animals, you will need to describe the animal use in detail and seek the appropriate institutional approvals (institutional approval is also needed for recombinant DNA proposals). We strongly suggest that the applicant seek institutional approval of their project while the proposal is under review so that a copy of the fully approved clearance letter(s) can be submitted before the funding is released. Informed owner consent must be obtained from all participants in clinical trials. Terminal studies or live-animal experiments that are considered excessively invasive will not be eligible for funding. A final report must be submitted to the secretary of the CGS within 2 months from the end of the program. This report should contain the results and conclusions of the study. If the abstract for the project is accepted for presentation at the annual ACVIM Forum, CGS will provide up to $1500 in additional travel support for the student.

Proposals are due by March 1st, 2023.  Successful mentors and applicants will be contacted by April 1st, 2023. Review emphasis will be placed on a quality proposal with clear and concise objectives that can be accomplished within 12 weeks, well planned methods, and clinical relevance to gastroenterology.

Please note: The maximum dollar amount for each award grant is $8,000.00. No indirect costs will be paid by CGS. $5,000.00 should be considered part of a stipend for the student and $3,000.00 is to be allocated for consumables by the mentor. This is not to be confused with a salary, i.e., payment is not by the hour. If the student is looking for a summer job to supplement their income, this is not the right project for them. The emphasis of this program is to expose the student to GI research and to give them an opportunity to gather hands on experience, i.e., this will be a learning experience on top of which the student will get substantial pocket money.

Proposal Guidelines:

  1. Title:  A brief, clear specific designation of the subject of the research topic. The title should reflect the objective(s) and scope of the proposal. Accurately describe the research contemplated in 80 spaces or less.
  2.  Mentor‘s name, address, affiliation, telephone, FAX, and e-mail address
  3. Student’s name, address, affiliation, telephone, FAX, and e-mail address
  4. Rational (introduction and background relevant to project)
  5. Hypothesis
  6. Specific aims
  7. Methods and materials
  8. Supplies needed
  9. Expected results
  10. Pertinent references (no more than 5).
  11. The proposal should not exceed 3 pages in length; please note that the title page and reference page are NOT included in the 3 page limit.

No budget is required.  It is expected that the mentor will provide the majority of laboratory supplies required to complete the research.