The following grants and awards are available to our CGS members in the year 2025/26:
Application Deadlines
| Program | Submission Deadline |
|---|---|
| CGS/Royal Canin USA Professional Development Awards for Gutski 2026 travel | November 15th, 2025 |
| CGS/Royal Canin USA Research Grant | December 15, 2025 |
| CGS/Visbiome Veterinary Student Summer Scholar Award | March 16th, 2026 |
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 (Research) member for more information.
CGS/Royal Canin USA Professional Development Awards for GUTSEA 2026 travel
Submission Deadline: November 15th, 2025
Funding Decision: December 1st, 2025
Award Amount: Three to four awards of $1500 will be offered.
Eligibility:
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.
Application Requirements:
- 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
Submission Instructions:
Send application materials to arollins@utk.edu with the subject line “GutSki Travel Award.”
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CGS/Royal Canin USA Research Grant
Submission Deadline: December 15th, 2025
Funding Decision: February 1st, 2026
Total amount available: $12,000 (no indirect costs)
Overview:
The Board of the Comparative Gastroenterology Society (CGS) is pleased to announce the CGS/Royal Canin Research Grant for 2026/27. Applications are now being solicited for proposals in veterinary and comparative gastroenterology. The proposed project must have clinical application in a veterinary species. Studies must conform to the ethical principles of Waltham (see below). Informed owner consent must be obtained from all participants in a clinical trial.
Eligibility:
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.
Grant Parameters:
- Maximum award: $12,000 (no indirect costs)
- No more than 10% of the grant ($1,200) may be used for travel to a major meeting to present study results
- Duration: Grants are generally one year, but no-cost extensions of up to six months will be considered
- A final report must be submitted to the secretary of the CGS by the end of the grant term
Review Process:
Proposals will be reviewed by members of the CGS Board and other volunteer CGS members. Review emphasis will be placed on quality proposals 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.
Institutional Approval:
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.
Submission Instructions:
Proposals must be received by e-mail (attachment) to Angie Rollins, the at-large member (grants) of the CGS Board at arollins@utk.edu with the subject line “CGS Research Grant.” The proposal should be accompanied by a cover letter (email attachment) that details the eligibility of the applicant to receive this 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.
Please send email questions to arollins@utk.edu.
PROJECT PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
Grant proposals that do not adhere to these guidelines will not be reviewed.
Proposals must be limited to 5 pages (the 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 font, letter-sized pages, double-spaced with 1 inch margins all sides). Each investigator must also attach a Biographical Sketch not exceeding 2 pages (not included in the page-limit). Please include submitted or approved consent forms (not included in the page limit).
A. Proposal Signature Cover Page
- 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.
- Principal Investigator’s Information: Name, address, telephone number, fax number, and email address
- Co-Investigator’s Information: Name, address, telephone number, fax number, and email address
- 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.
- Duration: Grants are generally 1-year but no-cost extensions of up to 6 months will be considered.
B. Project Proposal Narrative
- 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. - 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 the project is expected to provide. Literature citations must be listed at the end of the project proposal. - Hypothesis and Objectives
Clear, complete, and logically arranged (outline form) statements of the specific results to be achieved by the proposal. - 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. - Expected Outcome and Clinical Implications
- Assurance of Informed Consent and the Use and Care of Animal
- 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 to establish such collaborations. Only the principal investigator and the mentor must be CGS members; collaborators do not need to be CGS members
- 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:- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
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
- Studies that use in vivo techniques where meaningful data can be obtained using in vitro techniques
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.
Not Included In The 5-page limit:
- Cooperation
A statement as to cooperation with other practices, institutions, or agencies cooperating formally or informally on the proposal where appropriate. - Literature Cited
List the references cited according to the Guidelines to Authors presented in the American Journal of Veterinary Research. - Biographical Sketch(es)
Each investigator must also attach a biographical sketch (not to exceed 2 pages; not included in the page-limit).
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CGS/Visbiome Veterinary Student Summer Scholar Award
Award Amount
The maximum dollar amount for each award is $9,000 (no indirect costs will be paid by CGS):
- $6,081 allocated for student stipend (based on current NIH guidelines; subject to change)
- $2,919 allocated for consumables by the mentor
Additional Support: If an abstract from the project is accepted for presentation at the ACVIM Forum, CGS will provide up to an additional $1,500 in travel support for the student.
Submission deadline: March 16th, 2026
Funding decision: April 3rd, 2026
Overview:
Awards are available for a mentor-student team consisting of a CGS member in good standing and a first- or second-year veterinary student. The program provides a 12-week hands-on research experience for students with all levels of research background in the field of veterinary or comparative gastroenterology.
Eligibility:
The mentor must be a CGS member with current, paid membership. The student must be a first- or second-year veterinary student willing to work on a 12-week research project in veterinary or comparative gastroenterology.
Requirements:
Mentor Responsibilities:
- Provide a supportive learning atmosphere with consistent supervision and direction
- Be present for the majority of the summer research period and arrange for supervision during any absences
- Provide the majority of laboratory supplies required to complete the research
Student Responsibilities:
- Commit to working full-time on the research project
- Attend all laboratory and research meetings
Project Requirements:
- The proposed project must have clinical application in a veterinary species
- Objectives must be accomplishable within 12 weeks
- Terminal studies or live-animal experiments that are considered excessively invasive will not be eligible for funding
- If the project involves live vertebrate animals or recombinant DNA, institutional approval is required
Institutional Approval
We strongly suggest that applicants 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 funding is released. Informed owner consent must be obtained from all participants in clinical trials.
Review Process
Proposals will be reviewed by members of the CGS Board and other volunteer CGS members. Review emphasis will be placed on quality proposals with clear and concise objectives that can be accomplished within 12 weeks, well-planned methods, and clinical relevance to gastroenterology.
Final Report
A final report must be submitted to the secretary of the CGS within two months from the end of the program. This report should contain the results and conclusions of the study.
Submission Instructions
The faculty mentor and student will write a research application of no more than 3 pages to be submitted to Angie Rollins, the at-large member (grants) of the CGS Board at arollins@utk.edu with the subject line “CGS Summer Scholar.”
Important: Proposals longer than three 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 three-page limit.
Proposal Guidelines:
- 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.
- Mentor’s Information: Name, address, affiliation, telephone, fax, and email address
- Student’s Information: Name, address, affiliation, telephone, fax, and email address
- Rationale: Introduction and background relevant to project
- Hypothesis
- Specific Aims
- Methods and Materials: Please delineate the exact responsibilities of the student in the application. If the project involves live vertebrate animals, describe the animal use in detail.
- Supplies Needed
- Expected Results
- Pertinent References: No more than five
Page Limit: The proposal should not exceed three pages in length. Please note that the title page and reference page are NOT included in the three-page limit.
Budget: No separate budget is required. The award amount is predetermined at $9,000, allocated as described above.
