The £20,000 Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant, set up by the Mind Matters Initiative in memory Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Council member and mental health campaigner Sarah Brown, has been awarded every year since 2019.
Applications on an any topic relevant to veterinary mental health are welcome.
However, in line with the original aim of the Sarah Brown grants and the strategic aims of MMI, particular interest will be shown to projects surrounding:
- veterinary suicide
- a strong focus on mental health, rather than well-being/wellness
- veterinary nurses, veterinary nursing students and non-veterinary member of the practice team (eg receptionists)
- understanding experiences of minoritised groups within the veterinary team
- projects led by those who typically receive fewer opportunities in academia (eg student, minority groups and those with lived experience of mental health problems)
Lisa Quigley, MMI manager, said: “Sarah was a strong mental health and well-being advocate with a particular passion for ensuring that those working in the veterinary professions were confident, happy, resilient and well supported.
“We are grateful to Sarah’s family for giving us their blessing and support to help continue her legacy through the Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant.
“The grant is open to anyone with a relevant research idea, whether that be a highly experienced researcher, or someone just starting out in their career.
“All applications are anonymised and will be judged based on their quality, originality and relevance to the profession.
“Mental health research is of vital importance, both in theory and practice, and forms a vital part of our work at MMI.
“Our past projects have already proven to have real tangible benefits to veterinary teams and we look forward to seeing how our research projects will continue to drive positive change in the future.”
Past project topics have included the effectiveness of online compassion focused therapy intervention for veterinarian self-criticism and perfectionism, neurodiversity, well-being among isolated farm vets, the impact of racism on mental health, and the impact of moral injury on mental well-being.
Anyone wishing to apply for the Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant can find more information on the Mind Matters website, where an application form is also available to download.
Applications should be sent to Lisa Quigley by 5pm on Wednesday 31 May 2023.
The award will be formally presented at the 2023 Mind Matters Mental Health Research Symposium taking place in November 2023, where the winner will also be invited to present their work.
