"The National Science Foundation awards Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants in selected areas of the biological sciences. These grants provide partial support of doctoral dissertation research to improve the overall quality of research. Allowed are costs for doctoral candidates to conduct research in specialized facilities or field settings away from the home campus, to participate in scientific meetings, and to provide opportunities for greater diversity in collecting and creativity in analyzing data than would otherwise be possible using only locally available resources."

Due Date: Nov. 21, 2008
(Third Friday in November, Annually Thereafter)
Award Size: $3,000-15,000

"This small grant will support ecological field research on rare plants and animals and unique natural communities at Conservation preserves (and other natural areas) in Maryland.  Proposals from graduate and advanced undergraduate students will be given preference over those from faculty members and independent researchers.  Awards range from $1000 to $5000 per year.  Awards will not cover tuition, permanent equipment or university overhead.  Multi-year projects are encouraged, but annual applications for support will be required."

For program brochure, a list of suggested research topics, and a summary of Nature Conservancy preserves and project areas in Maryland, contact (email, please):

"Beyond the small grants program (see above), The Maryland/DC Chapter remains very interested in supporting professional ecological research on our lands.  We are particularly interested in studies that would help us measure and monitor ecological variabiity of natural communities, make scientifically based conservation decisions, and achieve our ecological management and restoration goals.  Independent projects carried out by academic researchers at our preserves are welcome, especially those that do not involve significant impacts to rare species or sensitive habitats.  We are also very interested in developing research proposals jointly with academic partners for appropriate projects that would be funded by external sources (e.g., NSF, USGS, NOAA).  Finally, the MD/DC Chapter has some capacity to identify non-traditional funding sources (especially in the range of $20-30,000) for high-priority research projects at select sites.  Please contact me to discuss your project idea if you feel they may overlap with, or contribute to, our conservation goals:"

         Doug Samson, Ph.D.
         Senior Scientist
         The Nature Conservancy
         5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 100
         Bethesda, MD  20814
         dsamson@tnc.org
         301-897-8570

"In general, female students enrolled in a behavioral, life, physical, or social science or engineering program leading to a Ph.D. degree may apply. The award may be used for any aspect of education, including tuition, books, housing, research, travel and meeting registration, or publication costs, for example."

Due Date: January 24, 2008
Award Size: $1,000

"The program awards grants of $1,000 or less to students from all areas of the sciences and engineering. Designated funds from the National Academy of Sciences allow for grants of up to $2,500 for astronomy or vision related research. Students use the funding to pay for travel expenses to and from a research site, or for purchase of non-standard laboratory equipment necessary to complete a specific research project."

Due Date: Mar 15 and Oct 15 annually
Award Size: $1,000

"Applicants to the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program must propose to conduct research in a discipline pursued at the Smithsonian and must submit a specific and detailed research proposal indicating why the Smithsonian is an appropriate place to carry out the study. Projects that broaden and diversify the research conducted within these disciplines are encouraged. Fellowships are offered to support research at Smithsonian facilities or field stations. Fellows are expected to spend most of their tenure in residence at the Smithsonian, except when arrangements are made for periods of field work or research travel."

Due Date: January 15th
Award Size: up to $20,000/year

"General Research Grants are awarded twice annually and constitute the majority of the Foundation's grant program. Priority for funding is given to the exploratory phases of promising new research projects that meet the stated purpose of the Foundation. The majority of the Foundation's General Research Grants to doctoral student are in the $3,000-$13,000 range; however, larger grants, especially to senior scientists and post-doctoral students, may be funded up to $22,000. "

Due Date: July 15 and Dec 15 annually
Award Size: $3,000-13,000

"Grants for amounts up to $25,000 for Dissertation Fieldwork and Post-PhD Grants and $40,000 for Richard Carely Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowships are available for basic research in all branches of anthropology. Dissertation and Post-Ph.D. grants are made to seed innovative approaches and ideas, to cover specific expenses or phases of a project, and/or to encourage aid from other funding agencies. Richard Carley Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowships are given to aid the writeup of research results for publication. The foundation particularly invites projects employing comparative perspectives or integrating two or more subfields of anthropology. A small number of awards is available for projects designed to develop resources for anthropological research and scholarly exchange."

Due Date: May 1 and Nov 1 annually
Award Size: up to $25,000

Rocky Mountain Nature Association Fellowship

The Rocky Mountain Nature Association and Friends of Rocky Mountain National Park announce a 3-4 month summer fellowship opportunity for graduate-level researchers in Rocky Mountain National Park. Stipend and free housing available, with an opportunity to work with park researchers. For more information, call 970-586-0108 or e-mail nancy@rmna.org

Due Date: February 1, 2008
Award Size: housing, $5,000 stipend plus up to $3,000 for research expenses

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for master's and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline for receipt of pre-applications is October 18, 2005. Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 100 new fellowships by July 21, 2006. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of four years. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000 per year of support per fellowship."

Due Date: October 23, 2007
Award Size: up to $37,000/year

"The Exploration Fund of The Explorers Club provides grants in support of exploration and field research. Grants in amounts up to $1,200 are made primarily to graduate students. Applicants do not have to be members of The Explorers Club and do not have to reside in the United States to qualify for an award."

Due Date: January 15, 2007
Award Size: up to $1,200

"In honor of the late Joseph L. Fisher, president of Resources for the Future (RFF) from 1959-1974, RFF will award fellowships for the coming academic year in support of doctoral dissertation research on issues related to the environment, natural resources, or energy. RFF’s primary research disciplines are economics and other social sciences. Proposals originating in these fields will have the greatest likelihood of success. Proposals from the physical or biological sciences must have an immediate and obvious link to environmental policy matter"

Due Date: February 29, 2008
Award Size: up to $12,000 annually

"Each year, The Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation provides grants of up to $10,580 (a symbolic amount representing the cost of the "Spirit of St. Louis") to men and women whose individual initiative and work in a wide spectrum of disciplines furthers the Lindberghs' vision of a balance between the advance of technology and the preservation of the natural/human environment."

Due Date: 2nd Thursday in June, annually
Award Size: $10,580

"SSRC fellowship and grant programs provide support and professional recognition to innovators within fields, and especially to younger researchers whose work and ideas will have longer-term impact on society and scholarship. These programs often target the spaces between disciplines, where new perspectives emerge and struggle for acceptance, thus ensuring the production of knowledge and expertise on key topics, regions, and social challenges. They promote the diversification of knowledge production, strengthening research by ensuring that it remains open to (and challenged by) a range of perspectives, backgrounds, and nationalities. "

Due Date: various
Award Size: up to $16,000

"Each year the Foundation awards two Ph.D. dissertation fellowships of $24,000 to students whose work is in the areas of environmental public policy or environmental conflict resolution. Recipients must be in the final, writing year of their Ph.D. work and must submit a copy of their dissertation to the Udall Foundation at the end of the award year."

Due Date: February 21, 2008
Award Size: $24,000

"The Research Fellowship Program (RFP),  is a small grants program designed to support individual field research projects that have a clear application to the conservation of threatened wildlife and wildlife habitat and that are based on sound and innovative conservation science. In addition, the RFP aims to build capacity for the next generation of conservationists. Most of the grantees are professional conservationists from the country of research and/or post-graduates pursuing a higher degree"

Due Date: March 15, 2008
Award Size: up to $25,000

"The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funds projects to conserve and restore fish, wildlife, and native plants through matching grant programs. The Foundation awards matching grants to projects that address priority actions promoting fish and wildlife conservation and the habitats on which they depend, work proactively to involve other conservation and community interests, leverage Foundation-provided funding, and evaluate project outcomes. Federal, state, and local governments, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations are welcomed to apply for a general matching grant throughout the year."

Due Date: various
Award Size: various

"To qualify for a grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, as from most other foundations, a prospective grantee in the United States must be either a tax-exempt organization or an organization seeking support for a project that would qualify as educational or charitable. A prospective foreign grantee must satisfy an RBF determination that it would qualify, if incorporated in the United States, as a tax-exempt organization or that the project for which support is sought would qualify in the United States as educational or charitable. A grantee must also be engaged in work that fits within the Fund’s guidelines. Grantseekers are encouraged to study the guidelines closely and to consult the list of the Fund’s recent grants. If after reviewing the Fund’s program strategies, you believe that the work for which your organization is seeking support would contribute directly to the Fund’s goals, you should send a preliminary letter of inquiry. This will allow the Fund to determine whether its present interests and funds permit consideration of the request. Please do not submit a full proposal until you areinvited to do so."

Due Date: various
Award Size: various

"Research is an important part of both the academic and corporate environments, and minorities play a critical role in scientific advancement. United Negro College Fund funded more than 300 research fellowships at the postdoctoral, pre-doctoral and undergraduate levels to increase the exposure of minorities to research fields and to help researchers identify talented professionals who can lend their expertise to scientific and other research endeavors. UNCF also recognizes the critical importance of research to faculty development, and administers a number of programs designed to help minority professors increase their research experience. UNCF fellows make a real contribution to the collective advancement of humanity through unique discoveries."

Due Date: various
Award Size: various

"The National Geographic Society awards grants for scientific field research and exploration through its Committee for Research and Exploration. All proposed projects must have both a geographical dimension and relevance to other scientific fields and be of broad scientific interest.  Applications are generally limited to the following disciplines: anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, biology, botany, geography, geology, oceanography, paleontology, and zoology.  In addition the committee is emphasizing multidisciplinary projects that address environmental issues (e.g., loss of biodiversity and habitat, effects of human-population pressures).  Funding is not restricted to United States citizens. Researchers planning work in foreign countries should includeas part of their research teams. The committee will not consider applications seeking support solely for laboratory work or archival research. While grants are awarded on the basis of scientific merit and exist independent of the Society's other divisions, grant recipients are expected to provide the Society with rights of first refusal for popular publication of their findings.  This grant program does not pay educational tuition, nor does it offer scholarships or fellowships of any kind."

Due Date: various
Award Size: $15,000-20,000

"The ABS Student Research Grant Committee announces the 2005 competition for funds in support of graduate student research.  Applicants must be: 1) currently enrolled in a graduate program; 2) active student members of ABS, i.e., enrolled or renewed as of the January 14 membership deadline .  Individuals who have received a Student Research Grant in a previous year are ineligible."

Due Date: January 27, 2006
Award Size: $1,000

"Grant proposals are invited for either captive or wild primate-oriented research projects. Preference is given to training initiatives, start-up funds, supplementary funding for students, and innovations in animal care and research technology. Award amounts range from $500 to $1500, and will be for a period of one year. Note that the Small Research Grant is limited to studies with clear independent and dependent measures. Applicants interested in conservation-oriented grants should apply for a Conservation Grant"

Due Date: April 30, 2007
Award Size: $500-1,500

"Graduate and undergraduate students who are members at the time of application may apply for research funds."

Due Date: March 1, 2007
Award Size:
Grant-In-Aid $1,500
Fellowship $14,000

Cosmos Club FoundationConsortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area

The purpose of the program is to provide small grants to meet specific research needs not covered by other supporting funds. Examples of appropriate needs are small items of equipment (ordinarily expendable), special supplies, travel to research facilities or to attend relevant meetings, etc. Specifically excluded are general financial support, tuition, living expenses (except in connection with supported travel), and expenses that should have been foreseen and provided for in planning the degree program.

Due Date: November 3, 2007
Award Size: $1,500-3,000

"The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's commitment to field conservation is expressed through our conservation fund. This fund serves as a small grants program that field researchers throughout the world can access by submitting applications directly to the Field Conservation Coordinator. The conservation committee reviews proposals each month, and in 2003, the zoo provided funds to over 80 projects in 36 countries."

Due Date: rolling
Award Size: up to $10,000

"The New England Botanical Club offers each year up to $2,000 total in support of botanical research to be conducted by graduate students. The awards are made to stimulate and encourage botanical research on the New England flora, and to make possible visits to the New England region by those who would not otherwise be able to do so. It is anticipated that two awards will be given, although the actual number and amount of awards will depend on the proposals received."

Due Date: March 1, 2007
Award Size: up to $2,000

"The Dissertation Year Award offers a one-year package of direct program support. This award is for scholars who have completed all course work comprehensive/preliminary exams and defended their dissertation prospectus, or will before the academic year begins. Each recipient is awarded one year of tuition and fees, a $15,000 stipend, a $500 research allowance, and expenses associated with attending the Compact for Faculty Diversity's Annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring. Awardees are also eligible for support to present original research through the Professional Development Fund."

Due Date: April 4, 2008
Award Size: $15,000/year

NASA's Earth System Science (ESS) Fellowship Program sponsors fellowships for students pursuing Master of Science or Doctoral degrees in Earth System Science and related disciplines. The program's purpose is to ensure continued training of interdisciplinary scientists to support the study of the Earth as a system. NASA places particular emphasis on the applicant's ability and interest in pursuing academic training and research using observations and measurements from NASA's Earth orbiting satellites, and in developing inter or cross-disciplinary research about the Earth system that is not currently emphasized in the research and development portfolio of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The annual program announcement is released in the fall and posted at http://inspires.nasaprs.com.

CONTACT: Earth System Science Fellowship Program, Code YO, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, Phone: 202-358-0855, Email: acrouch@hq.nasa.gov.