Research symposium gets further AVMA, AVMF support

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​A popular meeting for veterinary students interested in research has gained further support from the AVMA and American Veterinary Medical Foundation in recent months.

Each summer, several hundred veterinary students participate in research projects conducted by investigators at veterinary colleges in the U.S. and abroad. These summer research experiences culminate in the presentation of their research findings at the Merial-National Institutes of Health Veterinary Scholars Symposium. Last year’s symposium, held at Michigan State University, saw 600 registrants, including 458 students who presented their research findings.

The success of the program in recent years has imposed increasing logistic and financial burdens on host institutions. To help, AVMA Executive Board members, during their April meeting, approved developing a process to collect abstract submissions and collate them into a program abstract booklet as an in-kind donation to support the symposium. The Council on Research made the recommendation. The cost is estimated at up to $8,066 per year, starting next year.

It’s likely that a digital edition of the booklet would be much less costly, once the AVMA Information Technology Division develops it, according to the background.

In addition, the AVMA and AVMF approved a program in spring 2013 called the Second Opportunity Summer Scholars Awards. Ten veterinary students who participated in the 2013 summer research program have been awarded $5,000 stipends to perform a second research project this summer. Each award includes $1,000 to cover travel expenses to the symposium, which will be held July 31-Aug. 3 at Cornell University.

The AVMA, via the AVMF, supports the symposium with $20,000 annually. Part of that money is used to sponsor the Young Investigators Award competition and to pay expenses associated with hosting the AVMA Excellence in Research Awards.

In January of this year, the AVMA Executive Board approved hosting the symposium in conjunction with the 2020 AVMA Annual Convention, to be held July 30-Aug. 4 in San Diego.

Click here for more information about the Merial-NIH Veterinary Scholars Symposium.