Research

The Peer Zwart Research Fund supports research in zoological medicine and wildlife conservation.

Enthusiastic and dedicated vets and veterinary students working in the field of zoological medicine can apply for a research grant to carry out significant research in advancing wildlife and nature conservation.

The Peer Zwart Research Fund provides grants for support of research projects in zoological medicine with the ultimate goal of wildlife conservation. The grant is awarded once a year and ranges up to 1000 euro.

The grant can be spend on costs for the management of the research project and for laboratory equipment, laboratory tests and transportation. Applicant should draw up a proposal and a budget.

Applicants need to apply before the first of october. Two months later the applicant will hear if their application was successful.
The research project has to be guided by a Phd researcher and the recipient is encouraged to publish in a peer-reviewed journal.
Applications will be judged on the merit of advancing zoological medicine and the profit for wildlife conservation.

The Peer Zwart Research Fund is announced in Wildlands Adventure Zoo at the 28th of May 2022 during the Zoo and Wildlife Health Conference of the EAZWV.

Prof. dr. Peer Zwart DVM, Dipl ECVP, Dipl ECZM can be seen as the founder of Zoological Medicine in the Netherlands. He graduated in 1955 at the University of Utrecht and stayed at the University to work at the Pathology Department. His dissertation in 1963 was about renal pathology in reptiles. In 1970 he accepted his professorship in Pathology of Exotic Animals, where he was inspiring for so many colleagues and veterinarian students until 1990 when he retired.

As Professor Em. he continued his ambition of advancing Zoological Medicine and Pathology. He works up until now from his own established research center Bibliozoo. In his long career he published 286 research papers from 1959 to 2021 (researchgate.net) and is well known for the Gabrisch/Zwart veterinary handbook ‘Krankheiten der Heimtiere’ that had its eighth press in 2014. It is the reference book for many exotic veterinarians.

The longterm dedication for zoological medicine of Peer Zwart, in a career of more than 65 years and his inspiration and guidance for so many veterinarians and veterinary students has been the decision to announce the Peer Zwart Research Fund.

The passing of Prof. dr. Peer Zwart in 2024 has left a profound void in the veterinary community. Throughout his illustrious career, he has left an indelible mark on the veterinary field. Peer’s legacy will endure as a guiding light, inspiring future generations of veterinarians.