The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Equine Research Coordination Group (ERCG) recently published a paper outlining the need for a coordinated effort to promote equine research as a viable career choice for recent graduates, and to attract students to the field of equine research. According to the report, stipends for research associates in equine research have not kept pace with those offered in human medicine and by institutions such as the National Institutes of Health.
The paper “Ensuring a Bright Future for Equine Research” can be viewed athttp://www.aaep.org/equine_research_co_group.htm. This paper, which may be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file. is important reading for any students considering a career in equine research.
The mission of the Equine Research Coordination Group (ERCG) is to advance the health and welfare of horses by promoting the discovery and sharing of new knowledge, enhancing awareness of the need for targeted research, educating the public, expanding fundraising opportunities, and facilitating cooperation among funding agencies.
The ERCG is a group comprised of researchers and organizations that support equine research. Participants in the ERCG include equine foundations and multiple university research representatives. Current participants include: AAEP Foundation, American Horse Council, AQHA Foundation, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Morris Animal Foundation, Havemeyer Foundation, United States Equestrian Federation Foundation and University Researchers including: Noah Cohen, VMD (Texas A & M University), Greg Ferraro, DVM (University of California – Davis), Eleanor Green, DVM (University of Florida), Dick Mansmann, VMD (North Carolina State University), Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc (Colorado State University), Jim Moore, DVM (University of Georgia), and Rustin Moore, DVM (The Ohio State University). For more information about the ERCG, please visit online at http://www.aaepfoundation.org and click on the ERCG link.
To learn more about equine research funding opportunities or current research, contact Anne Dadds, AAEP research coordinator, at [email protected] or (859) 233-0147, ext. 221, or Keith Kleine, AAEP director of industry relations, at (859) 233-0147, ext. 220, or [email protected].
(Photo of researcher Lisa Lancaster PhD DVM taken in 2005 at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Foot Laboratory by the late Ransom Sloane, courtesy of Hoofcare and Lameness Journal)
