Application process
The 2026 Frank Verstraete Research Grant
The European Veterinary Dental Foundation (EVDF) and European Veterinary Dental College (EVDC) are proud to collaborate and offer an annual research grant to the value of €5000, to support innovative research that can advance our understanding and clinical management in veterinary dentistry.
In 2025, this grant was named The Frank Verstraete Research Grant in honour of an individual whose contributions to veterinary dentistry have been nothing short of exceptional. This reflects his outstanding and enduring contributions to research, publication and academic leadership which have profoundly shaped our discipline.
The EVDC will be seeking applications for this research grant that will be awarded at the Annual European Veterinary Dental Forum on May 8th , 2026, in Porto, Portugal. The Foundation will fund the grant, and the Scientific Committee of the EVDC will choose the successful candidate. Research proposals on any topic relevant to veterinary dentistry, oral surgery and oral medicine are welcome using the following format and schedule:
January 1st 2026: Applications open
March 15th 2026 (to be received no later than 11:59 PM CET): Application deadline and distribution to the EVDC Scientific Committee.
April 30th 2026: Recommendations from the Committee will be forwarded to the EVDC Executive Committee.
The successful recipient will be announced at the Gala Dinner of the annual European Veterinary Dental Forum. All applicants will be notified in writing at the same time.
The Frank Verstraete Research Grant details:
FORMAT AND SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION
1. COVER PAGE:
Project title, Principle and Co-Investigator’s names and contact information and a signature line underneath with the following statement: “By signing below, the Principal Investigator agrees to use the grant money provided by the EVDF to complete a project as described in the project proposal, and that additional facilities, equipment and personnel are available for completion of this project.”
The rest of the application is to be blinded by the applicant – no names, addresses, or other identifying information included. The proposal, after the removal of the cover page, will be distributed to the EVDC Scientific Committee.
2. BLINDED SECTION OF THE PROPOSAL:
i. First section (maximum one page, not including references): Project title, introduction, and summary of the project.
ii. Second section (maximum three pages, not including references): Detailed research plan, hypotheses, objectives, and methods. Expected duration of the project. Ethics application from the relevant veterinary body. The project must be completed in time for presentation of a summary at the Veterinary Dental Forum in 2027 with subsequent publication of the results in 2028.
iii. Third section (maximum two pages): Resources needed for the project. In addition to the grant, what other resources (facilities, equipment, staff, clinical cases) will be needed to successfully complete the project, and how will these resources be made available?
iv. Fourth section (maximum one page): Budget. Describe how the grant funds will be spent. If funds are proposed to be used for personal costs, justification of the role of the individual and confirmation that this person’s time cannot be funded from existing sources of funds are required.
v. Fifth section (maximum two pages): References.
Please make certain that your proposal is redacted from all material that might identify you or your organisation. Failure to do so may result in non-acceptance of your proposal.
3. SUBMISSION:
Submit the proposal as two separate Word or Acrobat (.pdf) files, one with the Cover page only and the second containing everything except the cover page. Submit the proposal via e-mail before the deadline to the EVDC president: president@evdc.org
4. GRANT ACCEPTANCE CONDITIONS :
The distribution of the grant payment shall be made following the European Veterinary Dental Forum and is subject to review by the EVDF.
Progress reports should include a timeline for project completion, a result summary, and conclusions to date. Any limitations to the completion of the work should be outlined in the progress report.
Progress reports should be submitted to the EVDC Scientific Committee Chair within (and no later than) 12 months from receiving the funds. Chair.gsc@evdc.org
The EVDF expects that a scholarly presentation at the Forum and a peer-reviewed manuscript are the ultimate goals of grant acceptance. As part of the grant, the candidate will have the registration fees covered for the next European Veterinary Dental Forum to present their research results. The travelling and accommodation costs will be incurred by the awarded candidate.
The Scientific Committee of the EVDC will consider applications for continuations or new grants only if progress reports have been submitted on time and/or your EVDF-funded project has resulted in publication in the peer-reviewed literature.
5. OTHER INFORMATION:
EVDF will not provide funds for “Overhead” or “Indirect Costs.”
Submissions that are received after the deadline or do not follow instructions for preparation of a blinded proposal as described above will be returned to the Principal Investigator unconsidered.
José C. Almansa Ruiz
On behalf of the Scientific Committee of the EVDC and the EVDF