Alpaca Research Foundation Policies and Procedures

  1. Qualifications — Ordinarily applicants must hold a DVM, PhD or equivalent degree and be full time faculty members or employees of an organization that does research. The ARF board considers the qualifications of the Principal Investigator (PI) when reviewing proposals. The investigator’s prior experience with conducting a research project, his or her track record for publications and the preliminary data he or she has put together for the submission are factors we take into consideration when evaluating proposals.
  2. Animal Care and Use — All animal research must be reviewed and approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee at the investigator’s institution. A copy of that approval is required prior to awarding of funds. All projects that involve the use of live animals must be overseen by a veterinarian to guarantee animal health and well-being. If privately owned animals are to be used in a research project, a letter from the owner(s) must accompany the proposal stating that they have read the proposal, understand it and agree to allow their animals to be entered into the protocol.
  3. Indirect and Administrative Costs — ARF is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. As a non-profit organization, ARF does not fund indirect costs or administrative overhead.
  4. Budgetary Restrictions — ARF funds expendable supplies, initial cost and care of animals, technical support and publication costs directly related to approved projects. ARF does not fund equipment, renovations, purchase of computers, travel to meetings, and professional or clerical salaries. ARF will fund hourly wages of technicians and students commensurate with their work on the project. All budget items must be well justified in writing including salary requests.
  5. Project Period — ARF will fund projects of one, two and three (maximum) years in duration. All projects are subject to review before allocation of continued funding. For a one year study, one fourth (1/4) of the grant award will be dispersed at the beginning of the award. Upon receipt of a satisfactory progress report at 6 months, one half (1/2) of the award amount will be dispersed. Upon receipt of the final report, the remaining balance will be dispersed. For multiple year projects, one fourth (1/4) will be dispersed at the beginning of the award and proportional amounts will be dispersed upon receipt of satisfactory progress reports at 6 month intervals. The final one fourth (1/4) will be dispersed after receiving a final report of the project. Any PI who is not current with progress reports on a currently funded project will not be eligible for consideration of future projects that are funded by ARF.
  6. Intellectual Property — The PI’s institution owns all rights to inventions that may result from the study, whether patentable or not. ARF has the right to request a percentage of revenues realized from an ARF-funded project.
  7. Changes in Study Protocol — Any significant changes in the study protocol must receive prior approval by the ARF board.
  8. Changes in Study Personnel — ARF must be advised of any changes in key professional personnel. No change shall take place without the prior written authorization of the foundation.
  9. Outside Review — In certain instances, ARF will seek the aid of outside experts to review a proposal. Please provide the names of reviewers who you consider competent to review this proposal and their contact information. You may also list reviewers who you would not like to review this proposal.
  10. Other Support — If support for the project is obtained from other sources, the recipient must notify ARF immediately. Any unexpended funds awarded by ARF will be withdrawn should funding be received for the same project from other sources.
  11. Budget Modifications — Funds granted by ARF may be expended only for the purpose and in the amounts set forth in the budget, unless written consent from ARF is obtained prior to the expenditure. However, funds may be transferred from one expense category to another without prior approval from ARF when the reallocation does not exceed 5% of the amount of the total direct cost.
  12. Financial Reports — All financial reports must be signed by an institutional official who can take responsibility for the accuracy of the report. ARF is not responsible for any expenditure in excess of grant funds awarded or for expenditures made before the starting date of the grant, or for expenditures made by other than the approved PI.
  13. Scientific Reports — Progress reports are required in writing by ARF at six month intervals. A final report is required at the end of the project period. The report forms are available on the ARF website, www.alpacaresearchfoundation.org. All progress and final reports are privileged communications and will be held in strictest confidence by ARF until one year after receipt of the final report. ARF strongly encourages investigators to publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal. Any publication resulting from ARF funding must acknowledge ARF support. The following or similar language must be used: “The author gratefully acknowledges and thanks Alpaca Research Foundation for its support, without which this publication would not be possible”. Reprints of any publication resulting from ARF funding should be sent to:

Alan Rosenbloom, MD
824 Poplar Trail
Siler City, NC 27344-1043

  1. Cancellation or Termination of an Award — In the event that ARF determines that funds are not being used as approved, ARF may immediately terminate any further installments. In the event of cancellation or termination by ARF or the recipient, unexpended funds must be returned to ARF.