Terms and Conditions for Student/Trainee Scholarships
Use of funds
1. Projects and procedures funded by the HSA grants may not be altered from those specified on the application form and in the grant authorisation from the HSA without prior written permission of the HSA, and no additional funds will be provided unless the HSA so decides in its absolute discretion.
2. Student Scholarships consist of both a student stipend (a weekly subsistence allowance for the Scholar based on local living wage) and a budget for project costs (up to £800 for expenses/consumables directly related to the project).
3. All grants are made on the condition that the HSA is in no way responsible for claims under any statute or at common law and it does not indemnify the host institution against any claim for compensation or against any other claims for which the host institution may be liable as an employer, owner-occupier or user of premises or as the provider of services or facilities or in relation to the work carried out under the grant.
4. Any equipment purchased from an HSA grant should be used during the period of the grant only for the activities approved.
Legal and Ethical
5. It is the responsibility of the Supervisor to be aware of all laws and codes under which the work is to be carried out and to abide by these and to obtain all necessary permissions and licences, including ethical approval (see below).
Use of Animals
6. If the proposed work involves the use of animals or humans, an ethical evaluation of the project is necessary, even if the procedures involved are deemed to be sub-threshold. In addition, it is the responsibility of the Supervisor to check with the appropriate national or regional authority regarding the need for licences or other specific authorisation required in the country concerned and to obtain these where necessary. It is also the responsibility of the Supervisor to obtain the necessary approvals from the institution’s ethics committee where there is one. If working with animals in a country that has no legislation to protect the welfare of animals during scientific experiments, the principles of either the UK’s Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (and any amendments) or the EU Directive (2010/63/EU) on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes should be followed as good practice.
7. The HSA requires rigorous implementation of the 3Rs. Where animals are used in research, they must be afforded high standards of welfare compatible with the aims of the research. At all times conditions for husbandry and experimentation should be of high standard conducive to good welfare and to minimising stress. Enclosures should meet the physiological and behavioural needs of the animals and appropriate enrichment should be provided. The health of the animals should be maintained and monitored, and any deterioration attended to immediately. All staff involved in animal research, both at a scientific and research support level, and those involved in the breeding, handling and care of animals, must be appropriately trained and possess relevant qualifications.
8. In order that the HSA can be satisfied fully that projects involving the use of animals take the fullest possible account of their welfare, applications should include details of the following (as appropriate) in the description of the methods
animals – number, species, strain, weight, sex, age, source, transport, health status, conservation status, fate at end of project;
housing/feeding/measures to improve welfare – age/enclosure type, size, floor, furnishings, bedding, cleaning, thermal environment, number of animals per age, diet, feeding regime;
experimental design – experimental design, details of how numbers in test and control groups have been determined (e.g. by power analysis prior to the experiment), statistical methods to be used in analysis of the results;
experimental procedures – experimental procedures, any risks to animal welfare (nature and duration), measures to improve the animals’ welfare, analgesia, methods of euthanasia.
Applicants may wish to consult the UK’s NC3Rs websites on experimental design for help with designing an appropriately powered study before submitting their application. The ILAR (Institute for Laboratory Animal Research) Journal also contains valuable information on experimental design and analysis. Data should be collected in a way that ensures that on publication the ARRIVE guidelines can be complied with where appropriate.
Applicants (especially those submitting applications for behavioural research) may find useful, and are recommended to familiarise themselves with, the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour’s Guidelines for the treatment of animals in behavioural research and teaching are updated in each January issue of the journal Animal Behaviour and are available on the Journal website https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.006.
Financial arrangements
9. Payments are made directly to the student scholar via bank transfer. Please note that funds can only be transferred into an account bearing the applicant’s name. Payment cannot be issued to third parties. Any costs associated with a bank transfer must be met by the recipients. Please also note that sometimes, for reasons beyond our control such as international sanctions, the HSA may not be able to make certain payments.
Limitation of liability
10. The HSA is in no way responsible, financially or otherwise, for the expenditure or liabilities arising out of the work other than those specifically listed and defined in the project proposal or approved in further correspondence.
Termination of grants
11. The HSA has the right to revoke or suspend any grant upon failure to observe any of the conditions listed above or specified by the HSA in the offer of a grant or on consideration of the progress of the work. In such a case, the HSA may require repayment or, depending on the circumstances, may reimburse the host institution for expenses incurred to the date of termination but will not be responsible for, nor will indemnify the host institution against, any claims (see conditions above) arising as a result of the termination.
Reporting Requirements
Full report
12. Student Scholars are required to submit an abstract for the Student Scholar webinar (see below) and will also be asked to complete a report once they have finished their research.
We also ask that Scholars send us a copy of any published papers that arise from their research. Please email an electronic copy to [email protected].
Photos
13. Scholars are also requested to provide photographs illustrating their project, or the animals involved in it, for inclusion in HSA publications. Digital photos should be provided in either TIFF or JPG format and in the highest resolution practicable (300 DPI is ideal). Please email photos as separate attachments (not embedded within the email) to: [email protected], or by using a web-based transfer platform (e.g. WeTransfer)
Supervisor’s assessment
14. Project supervisors are asked to provide a brief assessment of the success of the Scholar’s project. Please email an electronic copy to: [email protected].
Scholar Meeting
15. An annual meeting is held for Student Scholars at which Scholars (including those awarded Science for Animal Welfare Scholarships), will be invited to present their work. Meetings take place online, usually in December, and the audience is likely to comprise other Scholars, their supervisors, and other persons interested in animal welfare, including Science for Animal Welfare and Humane Slaughter Association staff.
It is our expectation that all invited Scholars will present at this meeting and each Scholar must submit a scientific abstract of their work, to be included in the meeting abstract booklet, at least one week before the Scholar meeting. Please email an electronic copy to: [email protected].
Deadline
16. The final report, photos, and supervisor assessment of the project (see above) must be submitted to the HSA by 1st November in the year the project is undertaken, unless otherwise agreed in advance with the HSA.
The abstract for the Scholar Meeting must be submitted to the HSA at least one week before the Scholar Meeting (usually December).
Please note that failure to comply with these conditions and to submit reports on schedule may result in the disqualification of the applicant or of their organisation from obtaining grants from the HSA in future.
Copyright and publications
17. In general, the data collected during a project for which the HSA is providing support, and any publications arising from said project, belong to the grant holder. The HSA may, in exceptional cases require the copyright of these data or publications, but in these cases, this will be made a condition of the award.
The HSA reserves the right to publish the scholars report, and any accompanying illustrations, in its publications, either as submitted or after editing at the HSA’s discretion, and without prior discussion with the Scholar or their supervisor.
Where the Scholar, or their supervisor, publish the work, or aspects of it, the HSA’s financial support must be acknowledged. This includes (but is not limited to) all publications, presentations and press releases. A draft copy of any proposed article should be submitted to the HSA prior to submission for publication and copies of publications arising from the work should be forwarded to the HSA on their publication. Reprints of articles arising from work supported or partially supported by the HSA should also be sent to the HSA in due course.
For oral and poster presentations, the HSA should be acknowledged and a copy of the HSA logo displayed. Please also notify the HSA when the work is presented at conferences and meetings etc.
Where the Scholar, their supervisor or their institution are planning a press-release based on the project, please liaise with the HSA prior to issuing the release: [email protected].
General
18. As the HSA is a Charity registered in England, this agreement will be governed by English law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Retention of Data
19. Information provided in this application and any supporting documents will be kept by the charity for an indefinite period for the purposes of recording charitable activity and to allow review of funding decisions. Copies of unsuccessful grants will be kept for seven years (Limitation Act 1980). For the processing and retention of personal data, the HSA adhere to the Data Protection Act (2018). Read our full privacy statement.