Our Mission

Science4Animals is a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping animals "healthy" and promoting the quality of life of domestic and other kept animals. To achieve this, S4A raises funds to finance research and material costs aimed at generating the knowledge needed to feed and keep these animals properly. S4A aims generating fundamental knowledge regarding three animal focus groups: equids, companion animals, pet exotics and zoo animals. The natural needs of these animals are taken as starting point.  S4A also would like to support comparative research because the differences between these focus animal groups and animal species outside the focus animal groups (including humans) may provide new fundamental insights to improve the welfare and health of animals through nutrition.

Our team & History

S4A has been initiated by dr. David van Doorn who during his studies and career in the equine industry and equine science struggled to find funding for studies addressing fundamental aspects of nutrition in relation to physiology, health, performance or wellbeing. Governmental funds supporting science projects are often lacking for non-production animals. The animal nutrition and husbandry industry have often limited sources for research and are more likely to fund studies related to product development and marketing related research. It is hard to find funding for independent science projects that answer fundamental questions or develop and validate new tools to optimize nutrition, health & wellbeing of kept animals. Generating fundamental knowledge will benefit the industry and its related professionals, teachers and animal owners but more importantly the animal itself! Together with a group of other animal nutrition experts in the Netherlands (Prof. Martin Verstegen, Tjalling Huisman and dr.  Joeke Nijboer) and professionals working in academia (Francine Wartena) or financial administration (Jeroen Pauw), S4A was established on World Animal Day in 2017.  Together with the help and network of dedicated experts, volunteers and graduate students from various education institutes in the Netherlands and Belgium, S4A hopes to make its mission successful.

How we work

We would like to support out of pocket costs of science projects that address fundamental questions.  Most likely these are (BSc, MSc, PhD) student projects  that are preferably supervised by S4A researchers. Supervisors can be university affiliated researchers but also scientists or experts that work independently. There is an increased interest of for students in the Netherlands and Belgium to execute science projects related to equids, companion animals, pet exotics and zoo animals. As the investment of time is covered by the student or researcher, these projects often need a relatively small support for out-of-pocket costs of the project (Analysis, transport cost, costs for animal housing & care & husbandry, materials, etc.. ). S4A can help to support these projects and by its support “upgrade”  these projects to a level that allows academic publishing in the form of an abstract, poster or scientific article.

Quality of results

Executing research can be a dynamic process.  By working with S4A appointed researchers experienced in supervising and managing science projects in a specific area S4A tries to secure and optimize project outcomes of funded projects. In addition, S4A has appointed a reviewer board of (animal) nutrition scientists that may help the board (and researcher) on request, to evaluate funding requests and quality of associated proposals. For the moment, S4A only supports funding requests for science projects that are connected to Dutch or Flemish institutes or independent (academic) experts. Of course, this can be international projects. Our S4A appointed researchers have the possibility to put forward projects for support but their fundamental work can also be supported directly.

S4A has no paid officers and uses all donations and sponsorships with minimum overhead towards projects. Science4Animals keeps operating costs to a bare minimum while maximizing our ability to support projects related to our mission.  This implies that those involved in S4A are volunteers. We hope to expand our S4A activities and possibilities and international communications during time. We just got started! 

There are many ways to help

You can simply help us to become a member of our Facebook or LinkedIn community or join our newsletter or point others in your network to support us in a similar way. Of course, we would be happy with your donation. You can donate directly through this website.

For companies S4A offers various sponsor opportunities (silver, gold, platinum) that includes sponsor display on the S4A website and visibility in specific communications or activities. Feel free, to contact us if you would like to explore these opportunities! We hope that S4A provides a platform for companies to support studies that answer fundamental questions of interest to all. 

S4A is based in the Netherlands and under Dutch law. We are preparing a request to obtain a status as  "Public Benefit Organisation" (Dutch: Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling, ANBI). Such status may provide Dutch tax advantages and may result in a more economical donation for companies that have a basis in the Netherlands.