Best Paleontology Grants in Colorado

Full-time undergraduate and graduate students conducting malacology research in western North America, including Colorado, can receive up to US $1,000 for research expenses through the Western Society of Malacologists. Funding covers field and lab equipment, supplies, microscope fees, and reasonable research travel for projects focused on mollusk systematics, biology, ecology, physiology, biochemistry, paleontology, or related conservation topics.

Qualified youth corps and similar organizations can receive US $30,000 - US $220,000 to run youth conservation and stewardship projects on public lands in Colorado and other eligible states. US Department of the Interior: Bureau of Land Management supports environmental conservation, habitat restoration, cultural resource preservation, and paleontological education and interpretation activities through this program.

Colorado researchers and graduate-level students conducting field or laboratory studies on recent or fossil mollusks can access funding through Conchologists of America, with awards up to US $2,500. Self-contained malacological projects across disciplines, including paleontological work on mollusks, may be supported, though high school students and most undergraduates are ineligible.

Colorado paleontology researchers, scientists, and students can access funding through the Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences to support publication, technical, collecting, and other research costs. This annual US $1,000 A. Allen Graffham Research Grant is open worldwide to projects that publish on specimens collected by, or in collaboration with, AAPS members.

Paleontology researchers in Colorado can apply for Western Interior Paleontological Society’s Karl Hirsch Memorial Research Grants, awarding up to US $1,000 for novel paleontological research expenses. Funding can support museum travel, research supplies, fieldwork to collect significant specimens, and external analyses such as CT scanning or geochemical work; WIPS members and first-time applicants receive preference.

Graduate students in paleontology and other geological sciences at universities in Colorado and across North and Central America can seek thesis research support through the GSA Graduate Student Research Grants, with typical awards around Approximately US $2,500. Geological Society of America membership is required, and projects must be part of an earth science graduate degree program.

The David B. Jones Foundation Grant supports educational, research, and charitable initiatives in paleontology within the United States. Established in 1998, it offers various funding types, including one-time, multiyear, and challenge grants, focusing on projects that promote the science of paleontology. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations aligned with the foundation's mission, prioritizing programs that engage young fossil hunters and public education through museums. The foundation does not fund individual requests or religious organizations.