How to apply for Scientific Lead

About Welfare Footprint Institute

The Welfare Footprint Institute is a research organization that quantifies animal suffering using empirical models of time spent in negative and positive affective states. Its core contribution is the Welfare Footprint Framework (WFF), applied to aquatic animals, pigs, poultry, cattle, shrimp and other species. The institute also builds tools like the Welfare Footprint Atlas, Knowledge Graph, and AI-assisted workflows for researchers, industry and policy.

About the role

The scientific lead oversees implementations of the Welfare Footprint Framework, including full Welfare Footprints. You will advance core methodological work, investigate unresolved scientific problems, and critically review research across terrestrial and aquatic species. This is a hands-on role: you personally read, analyse, write, and check research in depth, ensuring work reaches the scientific director with sound methods, reasoning, and conclusions, and with every claim independently verified.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reading and analysing research papers, drafting sections of a Welfare Footprint, checking claims against source data, and discussing methodological issues with the scientific director. You may also review work from other researchers or contribute to tool development for the Atlas or Knowledge Graph.

Who Welfare Footprint Institute is looking for

• Strong background in animal welfare science, pain and affective neuroscience, ethology, veterinary medicine, or quantitative methods.
• Experience applying empirical models to quantify affective states or similar frameworks.
• Proven ability to critically review research and independently verify claims.
• Comfort working across species, including aquatic animals, pigs, poultry, cattle, and shrimp.

Tips for this application

• Read the Welfare Footprint Framework paper or documentation and reference specific parts in your application.
• Show you understand the difference between full Welfare Footprints and partial implementations.
• Provide examples of research you have personally checked or verified, not just conducted.
• Explain how you would handle unresolved scientific problems in the framework.
• Mention any experience with AI-assisted workflows or knowledge graphs if relevant.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your hands-on experience with empirical models of affective states or time-based welfare quantification.', 'Your ability to critically review and verify research claims independently.', 'Your familiarity with the Welfare Footprint Framework or similar structured approaches.', 'Your experience working across multiple species, especially aquatic animals and farmed species.']

Research before applying

• Read the Welfare Footprint Framework documentation and any published papers.
• Explore the Welfare Footprint Atlas and Knowledge Graph to understand their structure.
• Look for publications or reports on aquatic animals, pigs, poultry, cattle, and shrimp from the institute.
• Check if the institute has published on AI-assisted workflows or decision-support products.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you implement a full Welfare Footprint for a species not yet covered?
• Describe a time you found an error in a research claim and how you handled it.
• What unresolved scientific problems in the Welfare Footprint Framework do you see?
• How do you ensure every claim in a research report is independently verified?
• How would you work with the scientific director to advance core methodological work?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on animal welfare passion without demonstrating quantitative or methodological skills.
• Claiming experience with the Welfare Footprint Framework without specific examples.
• Ignoring the hands-on nature of the role and emphasizing only high-level strategy.