Welfare Science

Welfare Science Priority Setting and Research Funding

Prioritising welfare science research to maximise impact requires systematic assessment of species, magnitude and neglectedness.

Key Facts

Effective altruism frameworks apply to welfare science: prioritise large-scale, tractable and neglected problems
Aquatic animals may represent the largest welfare priority by number of individuals affected
Invertebrate welfare research is significantly underfunded relative to the potential scale of harm
Research on wild animal welfare is less developed than farm animal welfare science
Open Philanthropy and Rethink Priorities produce influential research prioritisation analyses

Welfare Considerations

Not all welfare research has equal impact. Systematic priority setting based on scale, tractability and neglectedness helps direct limited resources to areas with greatest potential benefit. Fish and invertebrate welfare research is both underfunded and high-potential given the numbers affected.

What You Can Do

Support welfare research organisations that publish transparent priority-setting methodologies
Donate to effective animal welfare research organisations identified by charity evaluators
Engage with welfare science literature to understand research priorities
Advocate for public funding of welfare science research in underfunded areas