MMI launches second round of veterinary mental health research grants

This week [week commencing Monday 3 March 2025], our Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched its second round of veterinary mental health research grants and is calling upon mental health researchers to consider applying.

The new grant programme, which was launched in August 2024, aims to drive change that will positively impact mental health in the veterinary sector and offers two types of grants. The first is a £5,000 Discovery Grant, targeted towards postgraduate or early career researchers looking to kick-start small-scale studies. The second is a £15,000 Impact Grant, aimed at more established researchers working on more substantial medium-size projects. However, applications for both grants are open to researchers at all career stages.

Proposals must reflect at least one of MMI’s strategic areas of focus for 2025. These are:

• Veterinary professionals’ suicide prevention
• Veterinary occupational stressors (including trauma and burnout)
• Mental health in veterinary education
• Veterinary workplace leadership and mental health
• Veterinary professionals’ mental health and equity, diversity & inclusion

RCVS Council member and Mind Matters Chair, Dr Louise Allum, said: "Following the launch of our new mental health research grants programme in 2024, we were delighted to award a £15,000 Impact Grant to researchers at Oxford Brookes University who will explore mental health, alcohol use behaviours and barriers to help seeking in UK veterinary practice.

"As a compassionate regulator and Royal College, we are keen to support and fund research into mental health, not only because we care passionately about those dedicating their careers to upholding animal health and welfare, but because upholding animal health and welfare depends on the health of those individuals working in the sector.

"This also links to the RCVS Workforce Action Plan which commits to supporting veterinary professionals at all stages of their careers. A thriving veterinary sector is dependent on a well-supported, healthy workforce and research has the power to create systemic change that can have real tangible impacts, including improving overall job satisfaction."

Only one Impact Grant was awarded in the first round of applications last year, so there are three research grants available to apply for this time around: two £5,000 Discovery Grants and one £15,000 Impact Grant.

MMI Lead Rapinder Newton added: "As a funder, we are keen to ensure that the projects we fund have a direct and targeted impact so that as many people within the professions can benefit as possible. For example, one of our previous grant winners found that a compassionate focused therapy intervention was shown to improve the mental health of veterinary professionals. Following their successful research intervention, this course has now been made available for free through the MMI website.

"Research has an important role to play in creating evidence-based support, which can then go on to directly support veterinary professionals and the sector as a whole. Veterinary mental health is a small but growing field, and we are proud to be able to support the growth of that all important evidence-base.

"As well as supporting the professions, we also aim to be a supportive funder and have created additional guidance for grant applicants to assist in the completion of proposals. Our website has plenty of information to support researchers in making their grant applications as relevant and focused as possible. No matter your career-stage, if you’re a researcher and have an idea for a project that could help expand the veterinary mental health evidence-base and have a profound impact on the professions, we would love to hear from you."

If you are interested in applying for either the MMI Impact Grant or MMI Discovery Grant, more information can be found on the Mind Matters website where an application form, and guidance on how to complete the application form, is also available to download. Please note that applicant researchers must be UK-based and have relevant research expertise and/or experience, and be formally employed or affiliated with a university, higher education institute, or research-based institute in the UK. Those employed or affiliated with an NHS organisation which acts as the host institute are also welcome to apply.

All forms must be sent to [email protected] by 11.59pm on Wednesday 28 May 2025. If you have any queries about applying or the application process, please contact the MMI team at [email protected].

If you would like to apply but are not currently in a position to do so, the next cycle of grants will be launching in spring 2026.