The American Quarter Horse Foundation is accepting proposals for its annual Equine Research Grant Program, providing qualified researchers with an opportunity to advance scientific knowledge that can benefit the American Quarter Horse and the broader equine industry.
Established to support relevant basic and applied research, the AQHF Equine Research Grant Program provides an avenue for researchers to investigate questions that align with AQHF’s programmatic objectives for equine research. As a public charity, AQHF considers proposals within the context of its broader charitable mission and established grantmaking standards.
The current call primarily seeks proposals addressing the following research priorities, including joint and bone health (soundness); training and performance; reproduction and breeding; genetics and genomics; and colic. These priorities are intended to encourage research that addresses important questions and challenges identified by the American Quarter Horse Association membership and the equine community.
AQHF’s goal is to support researchers at different stages of their careers through investigator classifications within the grant program. When submitting a proposal, applicants select the classification that reflects their career stage and research experience: Young Investigator Award, Emerging Researcher Award, and Established Investigator Award. The selected classification determines the applicable funding limit for the proposed project.
The grant program also welcomes eligible proposals addressing specialized areas of research, including applied practices, equine-assisted services, equine head trauma, genetic diversity and assisted reproductive technologies. These proposals will be evaluated alongside all eligible research proposals according to the same standards for scientific merit, relevance, feasibility and potential benefit to the American Quarter Horse.
“The current call for AQHF research proposals encourages scientifically rigorous, data-driven projects and collaborative partnerships that can generate meaningful information for researchers, veterinarians, breeders, and other industry stakeholders,” said Laura Owens, AQHF programs director. “Research priorities are intentionally broad to encourage an innovative range of approaches and perspectives.”
Pre-proposals must be submitted by October 1, 2026. Following the review and selection process, funded research projects are expected to begin in October 2027, marking the start of the 2027-2028 grant funding period. Researchers are encouraged to review the program guidelines and submission requirements before submitting a pre-proposal to ensure their proposed project meets eligibility and grant requirements.
Expanding Research on Genetic Diversity
AQHF recently collaborated with the AQHA Genetic Diversity Task Force to help identify and articulate areas where additional research could provide valuable insight into the science, challenges, and opportunities surrounding genetic diversity and industry breeding practices.
The task force was appointed by the AQHA Executive Committee in response to questions and concerns raised by the AQHA Stud Book and Registration Committee regarding recent research examining genetic diversity within the American Quarter Horse. The significance of these concerns was further underscored by strong engagement and thoughtful questions from AQHA members surrounding action related to AQHA’s “2-Year Rule,” as well as broader questions about long-term sustainability and the future of the breed.
Through this collaboration, AQHF is helping communicate research questions to the scientific community while maintaining the established competitive grant process through which all eligible proposals are considered.
The AQHF Equine Research Grant Program provides researchers with an opportunity to contribute knowledge that can inform veterinarians, breeders, owners, trainers, and other stakeholders while advancing understanding of issues important to the health, welfare, and sustainability of the American Quarter Horse.
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