Since 2003, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., (BIVI) has contributed more than $900,000 through its Advancement in PRRS Research Awards to fund 37 selected research programs. According to Michelle Sprague, DVM, president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV), results from the BIVI-funded research studies have contributed significantly to the industry’s understanding of the disease and how to more effectively manage it.
“After more than 20 years in North America, PRRS continues to be a major disease challenge for swine veterinarians and producers, and during this time we have learned much about the virus, how it is transmitted and how to better control it,” Sprague says. “Collaborative applied field research will provide the keys to effectively control and eradicate PRRS, helping swine producers raise healthier, more profitable pigs.”
For its 2015 PRRS Research Awards, the company is again seeking study proposals from swine veterinarians, diagnosticians, and public and private veterinary researchers in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Selected research programs are designed to investigate new ways to diagnose, control and eradicate one of the world’s most costly swine diseases.
Boehringer Ingelheim encourages people interested in submitting research award proposals to do so by January 1, 2015, and complete details can be found at http://www.prrsresearch.com. Research award recipients will be announced at the AASV annual meeting in Orlando next March. Proposals will be reviewed by an independent scientific board and awarded based on established criteria including potential economic impact to the swine industry, originality and scientific quality and probability of success in completing the year-long study.