Burning Questions Fellowship Awards

Applications for 2025 round accepted: March 19 - April 30, 2025

Fellowship recipients: 1) Research topics of their own choosing that address issues raised in a set of "Burning Questions" we have collected from leaders of NGOs and funders trying to understand and find solutions to of global industrial food animal production’s negative impacts, particularly concerning low- and middle-income countries. 2) Disseminate research findings to non-academic audience.
They are intended for academic researchers (early career as well as senior academics). Independent scholars can also apply.
Applicants must hold, or be close to completion of, a PhD.
There are no restrictions as to applicants’ place of residence or citizenship.
The award period is nine months.

Category 1: US$60,000 - for a single individual PhD-holder or a team of up to four individuals with a PhD-holder as the lead/PI.
Category 2: US$45,000 - for a single individual PhD student close to completion of PhD or a team of up to four individuals with a PhD student as the lead/PI.

Call For Application opens once a year, usually around early April.

The research should address and bring deeper understanding to issues raised in the "burning questions", have practical applications, and include guidance for those interested in taking action. It is possible for recipients to do additional research that provides materials for their own academic work. The main deliverable is a "Guidance Memo". This is a 8,000–10,000 words report written in plain language.
Fellowship recipients are required to communicate Guidance Memos and research findings to non-academic audience. It is especially important to reach those persons, organizations, stakeholders most impacted by the issues addressed and/or interested in using the findings to tackle industrial animal agriculture in LMICs.

Over 50 PhD holders and PhD students have won the fellowships since the awards were offered in 2019.
They came from different countries and academic fields.