Search Through Earth Science Grants in the U.S.

Crankstart Foundation Grant

Crankstart is a San Francisco-based family foundation devoted to bolstering the foundations of a just society - wider access to better education, jobs with prospects for advancement, housing security, social welfare and the protection of civil rights. Crankstart also supports the arts, basic science and efforts to mitigate climate change. About 60% of grants go to groups in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While the Bay Area is our home, on occasion we have made commitments elsewhere – particularly in Chicago and the United Kingdom. The bulk of our grants fall between $100k - $1m. Once we have developed confidence in an organization, we lean toward making multi-year commitments for general support.

Crankstart envisions a vibrant, thriving Bay Area, where our region’s prosperity is strengthened and shared more equitably by all who live here.

Programs

• Economic Mobility - Everyone should have choices and opportunities that lead to economic stability and security. Crankstart focuses on root causes of economic disenfranchisement, particularly in low-income communities hurt by generational poverty.
  • We support work that:
    • Provides the tools and training needed for careers and economic security.
    • Strengthens safety net programs that provide food and health services.
    • Increases access to public benefits programs serving low-income people.
    • Mitigates the insidious effects of fines and fees that erode wealth.
• Education: Our public education system should provide every child and adult, regardless of circumstances, an opportunity to shape their lives.
  • We support work that:
    • Expands post-secondary access to academic and vocational studies, to help students develop the tools and resilience needed to pursue upward mobility.
    • Develops more opportunities for early childhood education and out-of-school learning, particularly in historically marginalized communities.
    • Strengthens the teacher pipeline, to recruit and retain excellent educators in public schools.
• Democracy: We envision a robust democracy in which elections are held securely and with integrity, every person has the information they need to fully participate in civic life, and the underlying structure of our electoral system is fair.
  • We support work that:
    • Protects voting rights through mobilization and engagement.
    • Supports immigrants, ensuring they have the opportunities they need to thrive.
    • Works to change harmful and unfair criminal justice policies.
    • Develops robust interventions to mitigate recidivism and provide economic opportunity.
• Housing Security: Housing security means all people have a place to call home. They have choices that promote economic well-being, health and safety.
  • Crankstart supports work in San Francisco and Oakland that:
    • Reduces homelessness through preventive measures and targeted services.
    • Provides affordable housing choices that allow people to live near work and become involved in their communities. We emphasize housing opportunities for those who are most affected by displacement and high housing costs.
    • Uses policy, law, public resources and good governance to promote economically integrated communities.
• Environment: Communities disproportionately affected by climate change should be partners and the primary beneficiaries of mitigation efforts.
  • We support work that:
    • Accelerates the transition to clean energy.
    • Restores and protects ecosystems in ways that benefit local communities.
• Medical Science & Innovation: Basic science is a foundation for knowledge and discovery based on facts, hypotheses and replicable results. This painstaking endeavor enhances our understanding of the world around us, which may translate into breakthroughs that benefit humans and life on earth.
  • We support work that:
    • Gives researchers funding and time to test novel hypotheses.

The Environmental Sustainability program is part of the Environmental Engineering and Sustainability cluster together with:

• the Environmental Engineering program and 
• the Nanoscale Interactions program.

The goal of theEnvironmental Sustainability program is to promote sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems. These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival. Research efforts supported by the program typically consider long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. The program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions. There are five principal general research areas that are supported.

• Circular Bioeconomy Engineering:This area includes research that enables sustainable societal use of food, energy, water, nitrogen, phosphorus, and materials, with the reduction and eventual elimination of fossil fuel combustion that lacks carbon capture. The program encourages research that helps build the raw material basis for the functioning of society principally on biomass, drawing heavily on sustainable agriculture and forestry. Additionally, material flows must reduce or preferably eliminate waste, with an emphasis on closed-loop or “circular” processing.
• Industrial ecology:Topics of interest include advancements in modeling such as life cycle assessment, materials flow analysis, net energy analysis, input/output economic models, and novel metrics for measuring sustainable systems. Innovations in industrial ecology are encouraged.
• Green engineering:Research is encouraged to advance the sustainability of manufacturing processes, green buildings, and infrastructure. Many programs in the Engineering Directorate support research in environmentally benign manufacturing or chemical processes.The Environmental Sustainability program supports research that would affect more than one chemical or manufacturing process or that takes a systems or holistic approach to green engineering for infrastructure or green buildings. Improvements in distribution and collection systems that will advance smart growth strategies and ameliorate effects of growth are research areas that are supported by Environmental Sustainability. Innovations in management of storm water, recycling and reuse of drinking water, and other green engineering techniques to support sustainability may also be fruitful areas for research.
• Ecological engineering: Proposals should focus on the engineering aspects of restoring ecological function to natural systems. Engineering research in the enhancement of natural capital to foster sustainable development is encouraged.
• Earth systems engineering:Earth systems engineering considers aspects of large-scale engineering research that involve mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to climate change, and other global concerns.

All proposed research should be driven by engineering principles, and be presented explicitly in an environmental sustainability context. Proposals should include involvement in engineering research of at least one graduate student, as well as undergraduates. Incorporation of aspects of social, behavioral, and economic sciences is welcomed. 

More information can be found here.

Explorers Club

The Explorers Club is a multidisciplinary society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and resource conservation.

Impact Grants

Building upon our highly successful Expedition Grants, we are continuing to award significant grants which have greater impact on explorers and their work in fields of science and exploration globally.

The Impact Grants align with The Club’s mission to foster scientific understanding for the betterment of humanity and all life on Earth and beyond – including our commitment to mitigate climate change, prevent the extinction of species and cultures, and ensure the health of our lands, oceans and all of their inhabitants. Further, we believe that explorers fulfill a critical role as a storytellers.

What Does the Program Fund?

• Fieldwork in the following disciplines will be considered:
  • biological sciences
  • archaeology
  • anthropology
  • paleontology
  • earth sciences
  • ecology
  • astronomy
  • exploratory projects that reveal new knowledge about the planet and its inhabitants, including regions undergoing environmental or cultural change.
• While there may be lab components of a project, grants provide funding for projects that are largely based upon a field expedition.
• Fieldwork can be rugged and adventurous, but the program will not consider projects purely focused on adrenaline sports or physical feats.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated on the basis of how the project or expedition aligns with the mission and ethics of The Explorers Club. Fieldwork will be evaluated on the scientific credibility, innovative approaches, and potential impact of the expedition, as well as on the relevant credentials of the team leader and team members. The proposed project will also be evaluated on its potential to inform and educate a global audience through inspirational storytelling.

Funding

Grants generally range from $10,000 to $25,000. Generally, a project should be carried out within a year of the grant award date.

The Leighty Foundation (TLF) is a small family foundation incorporated under Iowa law.  Directors and advisors live in Colorado, Alaska, and California.

Mission

To carry on the Leighty family legacy of service and stewardship by leveraging our time and talents, as well as our financial resources, primarily in the areas of Earth Protection, Education, Philanthropy, and Strategic Volunteer Engagement.Focus Areas Earth Protection “Environmental” has become trite, and does not convey the profound, urgent, and necessary changes in the way our species perceives and relates to our fellow species on Earth, and to its wonderful physical systems. The Leighty Foundation is especially interested in accelerating humanity’s transition to a sustainable, equitable, benign, affordable global energy system based entirely upon renewable energy sources — driven by radiant energy from our local star, the Sun, and by geothermal. Our earliest, most rewarding investments will be energy conservation and efficiency, while we invent and invest to “run the world on renewables.” We assist science education, so that we will better understand who and what and where we humans are, and to better understand Earth and our options for cooperation within its context and limits. Thus, we intend to invest wisely in Earth Protection, with both Foundation funds and with our personal involvement. An urgent Grand Challenge is transforming the world’s largest industry from about 80% fossil to nearly 100% renewable, CO2-emission-free energy sources, as quickly as we prudently and profitably can. Prudently: with acceptable social and economic disruption. Profitably: the huge amount of capital needed will flow only to attractive opportunities for returns. Electricity systems may be inadequate or technically and economically suboptimal for this transformation. Therefore, we now need to think beyond electricity, to comprehensively consider alternatives. Hydrogen (H2) and Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) are attractive, energy carriers, storage media, and fuels – as complete renewable energy systems. The Leighty Foundation Earth Protection program focuses on the Big Three challenges of time-variable renewable generation:

• Gathering and transmission;
• Low-cost, annual-scale, firming storage;
• Distribution, integration, and end-use of energy services.

Strategic Volunteer Engagement Our nation finds itself faced with a perfect storm with shrinking resources and escalating needs. Meeting these needs will require a dramatic increase in the number of people willing to give their time and skills as well as their financial resources. However, the challenge may be less about increasing the number of people who volunteer, and more about building infrastructures which connect people with worthy opportunities, and empower them to make a meaningful difference.There is a growing awareness that even if Americans respond to the myriad of calls for service, many charities are not prepared to effectively engage them. A recent survey found that more than 30% of charities do not currently have the infrastructure to effectively deploy volunteers. Now is the time for us as funders to seize this unique opportunity to financially support nonprofits in building their capacity.

The Research Grants Program of the Smithsonian Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) and the J&J Ruinen Fellowship in Tropical Forestry funds research projects associated with the ForestGEO network of Forest Dynamics Sites. The program is intended to provide opportunities for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career researchers (researchers who have completed their PhD within the last seven years) to use existing Forest Dynamics Sites and conduct research in collaboration with scientists currently associated with these sites.

Projects supported by the Grants Program:

The Grants Program supports research directly tied to ANY ForestGEO Forest Dynamics Sites, including projects requiring fieldwork, site data analysis, or the generation of complementary data that strengthens ForestGEO programs. Projects can be field-oriented, herbarium- or laboratory-based, or analytical. Research projects can be basic or applied in nature and based around the social or natural sciences. Project duration can range from 3 months to 2 years.

Successful proposals will require the use of ForestGEO site data (the site data must be integral to the completion of the project). Applicants do not need to be associated with a site prior to applying, but each applicant will need to contact a site Principal Investigator prior to submitting a proposal.

Background

With generous support from the Weston Family Foundation, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada is pleased to offer one-year Boreal Research Fellowships to graduate students pursuing their Master's or Doctoral degree. Successful applicants will receive financial support for their projects, mentorship from WCS Canada scientists, and an opportunity to network with other Fellows.

Weston Family Boreal Research Fellowships support field-based research that contributes to WCS Canada’s conservation objectives or priority research projects in the Ontario Northern Boreal and the Northern Boreal Mountains of BC and Yukon. We encourage research that partners with Indigenous communities in these regions. Boreal research that takes place outside of the priority regions that supports WCS Canada’s vision and mission may also be eligible if it aligns with the conservation and research objectives of the priority regions.

Our Mission: To save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.

Our Vision: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on Earth.

Please refer to additional informations here.

This element solicits proposals for decision-support tools for water resources management using NASA Earth observation data in support of the goals of the NASA Earth Action Water Resources Program and the NASA Earth Science Division’s Earth Science to Action (ES2A) strategy. While any water resources topics are welcome, priority will be given to:

• Drought Resilience and Water Scarcity Management;
• Integrated Water Infrastructure for Stormwater and Floodwater Management;
• Water System Risk Assessment and Adaptive Management;
• Sustainable and Efficient Water Use Across Sectors (Hydropower, Municipal Supply, and Irrigation); and
• Water Allocation, Optimization, and Transboundary Cooperation.

Projects must address: 1) Engagement and Needs Assessment, 2) Solution Development and Testing, and 3) Implementation and Evaluation (see Section 2.3). Proposals must define a specific decision making need and articulate how the project will support relevant decision-making processes.Funded activities must be conducted in collaboration with end users, requiring at least one representative from an end-user entity with a direct decision-making role in water management to be involved as a member of the project team (Co-Investigator or Collaborator). It is highly encouraged, though not required, to have the end user be a funded member of the project team. The participating end user organizations are expected to be substantially involved in the proposal development and the project itself. Relevant end users may include water management agencies, water utility managers, private companies, and non-profit organizations in water resources management.Projects must include at least one NASA Earth observation capability.

The Fund exists to support specific research projects. This means that it does not normally support expeditions, nor does it usually support undergraduates or field work undertaken as part of a PhD or Masters qualifications. In recent years the Trustees have focussed their support on field work in the life and earth sciences, through individual research projects undertaken away from the applicant’s usual place of residence.

These grants are for field work abroad (away from your usual country of residence) in the earth and life sciences. 

Overview

The Huyck Preserve is a non-profit, independent field station with no formal university affiliation, supported by members and endowments. Huyck Research Grant awards are distributed each year to regional, national, and international applicants. The Huyck Preserve and Biological Research Station awards four to five Huyck Research Grants each year to selected scientists and graduate students. Over the last several decades, more than $250,000 in grants have been awarded to support research conducted at the Huyck Preserve.

Huyck Research Grants help fund research projects in a variety of disciplines that focus on the natural systems of the Huyck Preserve. A significant portion of the project must take place at the Huyck Preserve; studies performed exclusively outside of the Preserve will not be funded. We support work in basic and applied ecology, conservation biology, taxonomy, animal behavior, evolution, earth sciences, land use history, and other areas of natural science. The typical grant award is approximately $2,000, but can be as much as $3,500 for more established researchers and/or projects that involve extended residencies. Senior researchers, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers are eligible. Funds may be used for the purchase of equipment, travel, food, and stipends for assistant/student researchers.

The Huyck Preserve will consider supporting multi-year projects. Researchers intending to extend their projects over more than one year should include in their proposal a clear, anticipated multi-year schedule for the project with a by-year budget. Approval of multi-year proposals does NOT ensure continued funding/permission to perform research at the Huyck Preserve after the first year; continued funding and permission is based on successful completion of that year's progress report and a work plan for the next year. The Huyck Preserve will make its best effort to continue funding multi-year projects at the funding level approved initially, but this will be contingent on budgetary constraints.

​As part of the Huyck Preserve's continued efforts to share scientific research with the broader community and the members that have supported research endeavors at the Preserve, Huyck Research Grant recipients are required to participate in scientific outreach while they are in residence through at least one of the following:

• A public lecture (e.g. as part of our summer Thursday Night Lecture Series, 
• an article in our bi-annual newsletter, 
• a guided public hike,
• a guest lecture for our educational programs. 

Grant recipients are also asked to submit raw data from research conducted at the Huck Preserve to add to its long-term database and to inform the Preserve of resultant publications. 

About Us

Founded over a century ago, the BES was the first Society in the world committed to understanding our earth through ecology, the science studying the relationship between living things and their environment. That commitment remains today with a global community spanning 120 countries and a strategic mission to find ecological solutions for a planet under threat.

With the scientific foundation of our seven world-class journals, the BES has a unique ability to convene the ecological community – bringing the right people together to seek solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of our time. In particular, we support policymakers and business by providing the evidence needed to ensure scientifically robust outcomes. 

About The Grants

Providing funding of up to £2,000 for individuals, teams and organisations to engage public audiences with the excitement of ecological science.

Engaging public audiences with the relevance and importance of ecological science and careers is vital.

This grant will support BES members to deliver independent outreach, public engagement and science communication activities that engage public audiences with the excitement, importance and relevance of ecological science or enhance the experience and skills of others to communicate ecology with public audiences.

The grant will support diverse formats that reach and engage public audiences in innovative, creative and impactful ways, whether through in-person events, digital formats, or physical resources.

All Grants must be for projects that meet at least one of the top-level BES aims:

• Communicate evidence-based messaging for what ecology is, how nature works, and the use of ecological science as a solution to local and global challenges.
• Raise awareness and public understanding of ecological careers, their relevance and importance, breadth, and diversity, and show that anybody can become an ecologist.
• Share how individuals can take action to benefit the environment, themselves, and society.
• Increase the ability of others to deliver the above aims through outreach and engagement activities.

Value

The maximum award is £2,000. However, the award may be used as part-funding for larger projects involving other sponsors.

If the BES grant is being used to part-fund a project, there must be a guarantee that other funding has already been secured. If other funding has been secured for this project, the additional BES funding should add a distinctive element/activity that would not happen otherwise that will greatly enhance the outreach activities, including increased engagement and impact.

Examples of costs that can be covered

• Travel costs.
• Small equipment and IT costs.
• Marketing.
• One-off hiring costs (e.g. a freelancer to deliver an activity, a logo designer).
• Venue hire.
• Evaluation costs.

Our Organization

Our mission is to foster the science and art of natural resource conservation.

The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) is the premier international organization for professionals who practice and advance the science and art of natural resource conservation. We believe sustainable land and water management is essential to the continued security of the earth and its people. Our goal is to cultivate an organization of informed, dynamic individuals whose contributions create a bright future for agriculture, the environment, and society.

Who We Are

Our community of more than 2,000 conservation leaders represents nearly every academic discipline and many different public, private, and nonprofit institutions around the world. Our skilled members include researchers, administrators, planners, policymakers, technical advisors, teachers, students, farmers, and ranchers, all who share the common goal of building a more sustainable future.

SWCS members lead at the chapter level to tackle critical conservation issues of regional and local significance. Chapter events and initiatives engage members in field tours and other learning opportunities, provide a network of experts in the area, and educate local leaders regarding environmental issues in their communities. Members of student chapters on university campuses participate in activities that foster their interests in natural resource management and prepare them for successful professional careers.

Conservation Innovation Award

The Conservation Innovation Award recognizes an outstanding activity, product, or service by a group, business firm, corporation, or organization that promotes the conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources.

Criteria:

• The effort or activity is in line with the SWCS mission
• The effort or activity contributed to bringing about better conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources and/or better understanding of natural resource conservation issues
• The effort or activity is a result of an organized program and may include the activity of an agency or government
• The effort or activity had an effect over a large area, at least a large part of a state or province, or parts of several states or provinces
• The principal effect of the effort or activity was directed to other than professional conservationists

Background

Providing the nation’s most promising early-career scientists and engineers with flexible funding and the freedom to take risks and explore new frontiers in their fields of study.

Each year, the Foundation invites the presidents of 50 universities to nominate two early-career professors each from their institutions. Disciplines that are considered include physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, astronomy, computer science, earth science, ocean science, and all branches of engineering.

In 1988, the Packard Foundation established the Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering to allow the nation’s most promising professors to pursue science and engineering research early in their careers with few funding restrictions and limited reporting requirements. The program arose out of David Packard’s commitment to strengthening university-based science and engineering programs in recognition that the success of the Hewlett-Packard Company, which he cofounded, derived in large measure from the research and development in university laboratories.

From unraveling the mysteries of aging, to studying emerging virus strains for rapid detection and prevention, to better understanding the physics of insect flight, research performed in university laboratories has the ability to profoundly impact our lives. Packard Fellows are encouraged to think big and look at complex issues with a fresh perspective. The Foundation has few paperwork requirements, and Fellows may use their funds in whatever way would best advance their research.

The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity (International Prize)

This prize was established by AEON Environmental Foundation during the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, the Prize has been awarded to biodiversity champions in several fields, including policymaking, science and civil society, reflecting the need for a whole-of-society endeavor—a seminal principle that underpinned the design of the Biodiversity Plan and its 23 targets (to be achieved by 2023). Up to now, 19 individuals from 17 countries have received the prize.

Nominations open for 8th MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity 2024

Co-organized by AEON Environmental Foundation and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Prize is awarded to individuals who make outstanding contributions to global biodiversity-related objectives, including the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and other environmental issues such as climate change.

The 2024 edition will acknowledge contributions to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also known as the Biodiversity Plan, and it’s four overarching goals to protect and restore nature, to prosper with nature, to share benefits fairly, and to invest and collaborate for nature. Agreed in a landmark decision of CBD COP 15 in December 2022, the Biodiversity Plan is the world’s masterplan to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity.

Established by AEON Environmental Foundation during the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, the Prize has been awarded to biodiversity champions in several fields, including policymaking, science and civil society, reflecting the need for a whole-of-society endeavor—a seminal principle that underpinned the design of the Biodiversity Plan and its 23 targets (to be achieved by 2023). Up to now, 19 individuals from 17 countries have received the prize. The founder of the prize, Takuya Okada, Honorary Chairman of AEON Environmental Foundation and Honorary Chairman and Advisor, AEON Co., Ltd., said: “The conservation of biodiversity and the prevention of climate change are considered two of the most important environmental issues of the present day. The Foundation hopes that this prize will contribute to these global environmental issues and to the global goals set forth in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in December 2022.”

David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: “Following the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in December 2022, the world community has been responding to the call to take urgent action for biodiversity. The eighth edition of the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity will honor individuals who are supporting the mission of this Biodiversity Plan: to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by 2030. I invite you to also lead by example and be part of the Plan.”

The Prize will be awarded during the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the CBD to be held from 21 October to 1 November 2024 in Cali, Colombia, under the theme “Peace with nature”. To strengthen collaboration with the prizewinners, various initiatives to disseminate their activities are planned thereafter through to 2025, such as holding forums in the prizewinners’ countries of origin.

Conferment of the Prize

The Prize is awarded to two individuals who are each honored at a award ceremony and who each receive a wooden plaque, a commemorative gift and a monetary prize of 100,000 US dollars.

Sharks Foundation

In 1994, the San Jose Sharks established the official charity arm of the team the Sharks Foundation, a public 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The Sharks Foundation empowers youth through education and wellness programs while advancing equitable access to hockey for all. The Sharks Foundation envisions a future where every young person in the Bay Area has access to quality education, essential wellness resources, and opportunities to engage with and grow through the game of hockey.

Focal Areas

During the Sharks regular hockey season, Community Assist Grants will be provided to Bay Area non-profits supporting youth wellness, education, and/or the advancement of hockey. To diversify and streamline our giving efforts, each month one grant will be dedicated to a specific focal area. Grant applicants must fit and apply under one of the following focal areas:

November: Hockey Fights Cancer

• Cancer-related patient care for youth (ages 0-18), including support services or survivor programs.

December: Holiday Assist 

• Food insecurity, clothing, shelter, and/or holiday programs that serve youth (ages 0-18). 

January: Hockey Equality

• In line with the leaguewide principle that Hockey is for Everyone, this focal area will drive positive social change and foster a more inclusive game through the advancement of hockey in areas such as female, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and physical or intellectual disability community participation.  

February: TK-12 Education

• STEAM or literacy programs for grades TK-12 (only).

March: Healthy Living

• Fitness, wellness, or mental health programs for youth (ages 0-18).
• For sport-related programs, priority will be given to organizations advancing hockey/ice sports.

April: Environmental Education

• Support of youth environmental education programs teaching sustainability, recycling, Earth science, and/or world health to grades TK-12 (only).

The Big Questions-Level I Grants

Curiosity is at the heart of humanity. The drive to better understand the mysteries of our world has invited storytellers to illuminate groundbreaking knowledge and the world’s wonders, and brought us closer together. Through this call for proposals, the National Geographic Society will invite storytellers to delve into some of these big questions – questions we’ve wrestled with for millenia, and questions that are only just emerging.

Every day, we are inundated with media – print, digital, broadcast and film – that influences our thoughts, conversations and public discourse. Too often, the media values sensationalism, treating knowledge as a commodity or a weapon to fuel fear, division and anxiety in the public discourse. In contrast, in its highest form, storytelling has the power to disseminate knowledge, prompt deep conversation and spark curiosity around the greatest questions of our time. The Big Questions on human flourishing, structures of reality and origins of life are key to understanding humankind’s purpose and place within the universe.Supported by the John Templeton Foundation, The National Geographic Society seeks innovative photography, short film, writing, data visualization and other storytelling proposals to help people consider some of the greatest questions of our time.These projects should in some way work to explore one of the following questions:

• What does it mean to be human?
  • We seek novel approaches to this question, science-driven stories that help us understand our own strange, yet familiar species in a new way.
  • Stories may investigate human origins, as well as look into the future of human/machine interaction and shifts in human consciousness.
  • Narratives around experiences of spirituality, family, gender, culture, interaction with the natural world and more.
• Curiosity: What are the boundaries of Earth, or more precisely, what are the limits to what we can understand?
  • Stories will take us to the edges of the physical, scientific, and philosophical world – and beyond. These will be the most ambitious and deeply geographic projects; journeys to the deepest parts of the ocean and the highest heights and – literally and figuratively – to more fully understand the natural world, ourselves and our place in the universe.
• Human/Nature: What is the relationship between the human and natural worlds?
  • Among other topics, areas may include traditional ecological knowledge, wisdom of the natural world (including animal and plant intelligence) and how it shapes progress, evolution, and human flourishing, biomimicry and shared consciousness between the human and natural worlds.
  • Stories that spark awe and wonder in the cultural and natural world- Humans’ connection to, and reliance on nature – from the science of green space as respite and comfort, to the ways some cultures have historically and still view land as an entity to care for, just as it cares for us.

Level I Grants

Applicants may request up to $100,000, (Level II Grant) though it is recommended that if you have five years or less of experience, you request up to $20,000 (Level I Grant). Budgets of successful proposals will include reasonable, well justified costs directly required to complete the project. Successful applicants may use awarded funds over the course of one year. All applications should explicitly state the plan for evaluating the impact of the proposed work. Applicants may use a portion of the budget for Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) or other security training, if applicable.

The Big Questions-Level II GrantsCuriosity is at the heart of humanity. The drive to better understand the mysteries of our world has invited storytellers to illuminate groundbreaking knowledge and the world’s wonders, and brought us closer together. Through this call for proposals, the National Geographic Society will invite storytellers to delve into some of these big questions – questions we’ve wrestled with for millenia, and questions that are only just emerging.

Every day, we are inundated with media – print, digital, broadcast and film – that influences our thoughts, conversations and public discourse. Too often, the media values sensationalism, treating knowledge as a commodity or a weapon to fuel fear, division and anxiety in the public discourse. In contrast, in its highest form, storytelling has the power to disseminate knowledge, prompt deep conversation and spark curiosity around the greatest questions of our time. The Big Questions on human flourishing, structures of reality and origins of life are key to understanding humankind’s purpose and place within the universe.Supported by the John Templeton Foundation, The National Geographic Society seeks innovative photography, short film, writing, data visualization and other storytelling proposals to help people consider some of the greatest questions of our time.These projects should in some way work to explore one of the following questions:

• What does it mean to be human?
  • We seek novel approaches to this question, science-driven stories that help us understand our own strange, yet familiar species in a new way.
  • Stories may investigate human origins, as well as look into the future of human/machine interaction and shifts in human consciousness.
  • Narratives around experiences of spirituality, family, gender, culture, interaction with the natural world and more.
• Curiosity: What are the boundaries of Earth, or more precisely, what are the limits to what we can understand?
  • Stories will take us to the edges of the physical, scientific, and philosophical world – and beyond. These will be the most ambitious and deeply geographic projects; journeys to the deepest parts of the ocean and the highest heights and – literally and figuratively – to more fully understand the natural world, ourselves and our place in the universe.
• Human/Nature: What is the relationship between the human and natural worlds?
  • Among other topics, areas may include traditional ecological knowledge, wisdom of the natural world (including animal and plant intelligence) and how it shapes progress, evolution, and human flourishing, biomimicry and shared consciousness between the human and natural worlds.
  • Stories that spark awe and wonder in the cultural and natural world- Humans’ connection to, and reliance on nature – from the science of green space as respite and comfort, to the ways some cultures have historically and still view land as an entity to care for, just as it cares for us.

Level II Grants

Applicants may request up to $100,000, (Level II Grant) though it is recommended that if you have five years or less of experience, you request up to $20,000 (Level I Grant). Budgets of successful proposals will include reasonable, well justified costs directly required to complete the project. Successful applicants may use awarded funds over the course of one year. All applications should explicitly state the plan for evaluating the impact of the proposed work. Applicants may use a portion of the budget for Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) or other security training, if applicable.

About

The Higher Education Program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is pleased to announce its third Call for Letters of Inquiry for the Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education initiative, continuing its investment in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and in the establishment of partnerships between MSIs and graduate programs nationwide.

Grantees awarded via this initiative will engage the expertise of MSIs—and the unique experiences of their faculty and students—to model effective systems and practices that remove barriers and create opportunities for equitable learning environments in STEM graduate education so all students can thrive. Grant awards will support sharing MSIs’ institutional know-how on equitable undergraduate and graduate education, as well as modeling that know-how to create systemic changes that enhance pathways from MSIs to master’s and doctoral degree programs in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, Earth sciences, economics, engineering, marine science, mathematics, physics, and statistics at partner institutions.

In addition to establishing seamless pathways, successful projects will address policies, processes, and practices that reinforce existing systems that are barriers to student access and success in graduate education. These projects could include efforts to examine or redesign graduate recruitment, admission policies and processes, mentoring practices, departmental climate, or other gatekeeping (or gateway) structures to and through STEM graduate education.

Since the barriers to equitable pathways do not end once students are admitted to graduate programs, Sloan is looking for evidence that projects will promote and enhance existing efforts to reduce and eliminate policies, procedures, and institutional climates and cultures that prevent students from successfully attaining a graduate degree.

Grants up to $500,000 will be awarded to U.S. higher education institutions and organizations developing equitable pathways to STEM graduate education

Implementation Grants

Implementation grants will support work between two or more institutions (one of which must be an MSI) that are seeking to augment or scale an already well-established partnership or set of partnerships. Such projects will have preliminary data or evidence of their effectiveness, or potential effectiveness, in widening educational pathways.

About

The Higher Education Program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is pleased to announce its third Call for Letters of Inquiry for the Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education initiative, continuing its investment in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and in the establishment of partnerships between MSIs and graduate programs nationwide.

Grantees awarded via this initiative will engage the expertise of MSIs—and the unique experiences of their faculty and students—to model effective systems and practices that remove barriers and create opportunities for equitable learning environments in STEM graduate education so all students can thrive. Grant awards will support sharing MSIs’ institutional know-how on equitable undergraduate and graduate education, as well as modeling that know-how to create systemic changes that enhance pathways from MSIs to master’s and doctoral degree programs in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, Earth sciences, economics, engineering, marine science, mathematics, physics, and statistics at partner institutions.

In addition to establishing seamless pathways, successful projects will address policies, processes, and practices that reinforce existing systems that are barriers to student access and success in graduate education. These projects could include efforts to examine or redesign graduate recruitment, admission policies and processes, mentoring practices, departmental climate, or other gatekeeping (or gateway) structures to and through STEM graduate education.

Since the barriers to equitable pathways do not end once students are admitted to graduate programs, Sloan is looking for evidence that projects will promote and enhance existing efforts to reduce and eliminate policies, procedures, and institutional climates and cultures that prevent students from successfully attaining a graduate degree.

Grants up to $500,000 will be awarded to U.S. higher education institutions and organizations developing equitable pathways to STEM graduate education

Seed Grants

Seed grants will support work between two or more institutions (one of which must be an MSI) that are seeking to build upon or formalize an established partnership or set of partnerships by launching one or more pilot activities. These projects should include a plan to assess the viability and effectiveness of pilot activities.

Francisco J. Varela Research Grant

The Mind & Life Institute is seeking applications for the Mind & Life Francisco J. Varela Grants for Contemplative Research (Varela Grants). The Varela Grants are an integral component of Mind & Life’s support of contemplative sciences—a growing field that aims to investigate contemplative practices through research in diverse disciplines ranging from basic and clinical sciences to social sciences and the humanities. Beginning in 2004 and named for one of Mind & Life’s co-founders, neuroscientist Francisco J. Varela (1946–2001), these grants of up to $25,000 (USD) are awarded annually to developing scientists and scholars who have recently attended the Mind & Life Summer Research Institute.

Francisco J. Varela believed that contemplative training offers us novel methods for investigating human experience. He also believed that the embodied, phenomenological perspective can best provide insight into the nature of the human mind. In his vision, contemplative training not only provides a new domain for scientific study, but can also help advance scientific theories and models of consciousness, emotion, cognition, and self. For example, empirical examinations of contemplative techniques can be applied to emotion regulation, attention, memory, spontaneous thought, automatic/implicit processing, and associated neural plasticity; such research can greatly contribute to our understanding of these processes and their development. Furthermore, while contemplative practices are being used increasingly in mainstream real-world settings, much remains to be learned regarding the physiological, behavioral, and subjective correlates of these practices, the relationship between the elements of contemplative interventions and desired outcomes, and differences in outcomes across populations and contexts. In all of these areas, contributions from the humanities and social sciences are invaluable in providing contextual grounding for the study of these practices.

The Varela Grants fund rigorous examinations of contemplative practices with the ultimate goal that findings derived from such investigations will provide greater insight into contemplative practices and their application for reducing human suffering and promoting flourishing. Mind & Life views the Varela Grants as an essential feature of its overall strategy of building an interdisciplinary understanding of the mind and human behavior. These grants are a key vehicle for increasing the number of exemplary scientists, scholars, and clinicians involved in contemplative research. Strong proposals will meet the highest standards of rigor in the applicant’s field of expertise.

Proposals must demonstrate relevance to the mission of the Mind & Life Institute. In addition, we have a special interest in supporting projects related to three broad topic areas:

• Personal Well-being—Examining the potential of contemplative wisdom and practices in nurturing positive emotions, including love, compassion, gratitude, and forgiveness, and the impact of alleviating negative emotions such as fear, anger, and anxiety in our lives.
• Compassionate Communities—Examining how the inner workings of the mind influence the formation of the views, behaviors, and social systems that separate us, and the role of contemplative wisdom and practices in creating more compassionate communities.
• Human-Earth Connection—Investigating how the union of contemplative wisdom and science can lead to greater awareness of the interconnectedness of all life—and action—to support and sustain both individuals and the earth’s living systems.

In this context, “contemplative” wisdom and practices are defined in a broad sense—including various forms of meditation, mindfulness, compassion, loving-kindness, gratitude, introspection and awareness of mind-body states, contemplative prayer, and embodied or movement-based practices such as yoga, qi-gong, and other indigenous and traditional practices from various contexts and cultures that may include dancing, drumming, and more.

Funding

Grants of up to $25,000 (USD) are awarded annually through a competitive application and selection process. Proposed research should be completed within a 2-year period, and annual progress reports are required for grantees to remain in good standing.

Background

The need for financial support of marine conservation efforts is acute in many parts of the world, especially in developing nations and those with little or no access to conservation funding. The Society for Conservation Biology Marine Section initiated the Conservation Small Grants Program (CSGP) to fund worthy conservation projects around the globe. The objective of the SCB Marine Section CSGP is to advance the conservation of marine biodiversity and the communities which depend on healthy marine systems by providing funds to individuals or groups for research, conservation, and restoration activities in support of the section’s Mission and Goals:

Mission

To advance the science and practice of conserving the Earth’s marine biological diversity.

Goals

• Be a global focal point for marine conservation
• Facilitate the dissemination of the science of marine conservation through education, publications, presentations, and media outreach
• Promote marine conservation as a priority for SCB
• Inform and facilitate the implementation of marine conservation policy
• Encourage communication/action across disciplinary, national and institutional boundaries
• Create the capacity to accomplish the aforementioned goals

Sloan Research Fellowships support fundamental research conducted by early-career scientists.

The two-year $75,000 fellowships are awarded annually to early-career researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders.

Terms of Awards

• Fellowships are for a two-year term, beginning on September 15th of the award year.
• Fellowships are paid in a single lump sum.
• The Fellowship amount is $75,000.
• Fellowship funds may be used by the fellow for any expense judged supportive of the fellow’s research including staffing, professional travel, lab expenses, equipment, or summer salary support.
• Fellowship funds may not be used for indirect costs or overhead charges.
• Fellows are obligated to notify the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation if they are changing institutions.
• Once per year, Fellows (or their institution) are obligated to submit both a substantive report (detailing what is being done) and a financial report (detailing how much money has been spent and on what).

The Charles Bullard fellowship program supports advanced research and study by individuals who show promise of making an important contribution, either as scholars or administrators, to forestry and forest-related subjects including biology, earth sciences, economics, politics, administration, philosophy, humanities, the arts, or law.

The fellowship is a highly competitive program that only accepts 5 to 7 recipients a year from a large applicant pool.

Fellowship Scope

Research areas include forest ecology, tree physiology, soil biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, forest resource management, conservation and biodiversity, land use planning, and public policy. Fellowships are occasionally awarded in the arts and environmental humanities.

Program Affiliations

A major goal of the Bullard Fellowship program is to enhance research activities at Harvard Forest and build long-term collaborations that connect Harvard Forest with other parts of the University. Fellows can be based at the Harvard Forest or associated with other departments and centers at Harvard University. Potential fellows are encouraged to contact appropriate Harvard collaborators well in advance of the application deadline.

Potential fellows are responsible for contacting and making arrangements with appropriate Harvard collaborators, if required for their fellowship. Previous Fellows have collaborated with researchers and faculty at:

• Harvard Forest, Petersham
• Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain
• Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
• Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
• Graduate School of Business Administration
• Graduate School of Design
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy School of Government
• Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE)
• or a combination of these research institutions

Stipends

The Fellowships carry stipends up to $60,000; the amount of each award depends on the professional status and needs of the recipient and the duration of the Fellowship. Fellows have the option of having the award paid either to themselves or to the Fellow's employer.

In most cases, the stipend will supplement income received for devoting a period to research, e.g., sabbatical leave pay for an individual in academic life, appointments with federal support for training of individuals in federal public service, or educational leave with pay for individuals in the private sector. Fellowships are not intended to provide significant funds for original research.

Duration

Fellowships may start at any time after September 1. Fellowships are typically  Fellowships are typically 6 - 12 months in duration.  

Fellowship Location

The Bullard Fellowship is a residential program and Fellows are expected to spend a substantial portion of their Fellowship based at either Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts or at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bullards who expect to spend more than a week or two traveling during their Fellowship should include details in their application.

• Fellows based at Harvard Forest will have a variety of resources available to assist with their Fellowship projects:
  • Research Resources: weekly seminars and lab groups (September - April), library, archives, LTER Annual symposium (March), office space, local telephone service and basic office supplies at no cost.
  • Housing: The Forest has furnished housing available for Bullards for $900-$1,600 per month for 1 to 5 bedroom units.
  • Local Transportation: Harvard Forest is located in a rural area. As there is no local public transportation, Bullards must have their own vehicle for transportation. The costs of obtaining a vehicle including insurance ($750-$1,500 annually); purchase of the vehicle ($5,000+) as well as maintenance and gas. Bullards are responsible for purchasing their own vehicle.
  • Petersham has many resources for its residents.
• Fellows based in Cambridge will need to make arrangements with their proposed collaborators for access to an appropriate office and/or lab space. Cost considerations should include research support costs (e.g. photocopying, office telephone, fax, office supplies, travel, lab/research/field supplies) and housing ($1,500-3,000/month, based upon size and location of unit). One source for housing convenient to Harvard's Cambridge campus is http://www.hio.harvard.edu/housing. 

The Explorers Club

The Explorers Club is a multidisciplinary, professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and resource conservation.

The Explorers Club is proud to support the scientific fieldwork of groundbreaking explorers around the globe — last year our grantees came from 6 continents and 24 countries.

Fjällräven Field Grant

The Explorers Club and Swedish-based outdoor gear and clothing company, Fjällräven, have partnered to create a grant program aimed to promote excellence in field exploration through scientific research.

Our shared values of conservation, education, community and preserving the instinct to explore are the guiding principles.

This grant award supports exploration and research to better understand our environment, a changing climate, and the interconnectivity of wildlife and civilizations around the planet.

The Explorers Club

The Explorers Club is a multidisciplinary, professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and resource conservation.

The Explorers Club is proud to support the scientific fieldwork of groundbreaking explorers around the globe — last year our grantees came from 6 continents and 24 countries.

Rolex Explorers Club Grants

The Rolex Explorers Club Grants sends extraordinary young explorers into the field and promotes the significant role that exploration plays in addressing cutting-edge scientific questions, understanding our environment and the world we live in, and learning more about our history to protect our future.

This program is open to all field science disciplines. In addition to demonstrating a spirit of exploration, candidates must put forward a project or research proposal that has a clear scientific rationale, represents original work, and has the potential for significant impact or new understanding.

Historically, awards have been given in the amount of $10,000.

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP)

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program offers opportunities for independent research or study related to Smithsonian collections, facilities, and/or research interests of the Institution and its staff. Fellowships are offered to graduate students, predoctoral students, and postdoctoral and senior researchers to conduct independent research and to utilize the resources of the Institution with members of the Smithsonian professional research staff serving as advisors and hosts. These fellowships are offered through the Smithsonian’s Office of Academic Appointments and Internships, and are administered under the charter of the Institution, 20 U.S. Code section 41 et seq.

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program offers fellowships for research and study in the following fields and encourages applications of an interdisciplinary nature:

• Animal behavior, ecology, and environmental science, including an emphasis on the tropics; Anthropology, including archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, and physical anthropology; Astrophysics and astronomy; Earth sciences and paleobiology; Evolutionary & systematic biology; Folklife; History of science and technology; History of art, especially American, contemporary, African, and Asian art, twentieth-century American crafts, and decorative arts; Materials research; Molecular biology; Social and cultural history of the United States

Why Be A Fellow?

AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) provide opportunities to outstanding scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about policymaking while contributing their knowledge and analytical skills to the federal policymaking process. Fellows serve yearlong assignments in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government in Washington. Each year, the program adds to a growing corps approximately 4,000 strong of policy-savvy leaders working across academia, government, nonprofits and industry to serve the nation and the world.

Receive a stipend.

$99,000 to $129,000 per year, along with other support including reimbursement for health care insurance.

Develop new skills.

Every fellowship includes a yearlong Professional Development program. Commencing with a two-week orientation, a series of trainings and workshops in the areas of policy and the federal government, leadership, communication, and networking and career strategies are intended to foster fellows’ development as science policy leaders. The professional development curriculum is designed around specific learning goals and objectives designed to maximize success in the fellowship and beyond.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program

The Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Programs of the AMNH are designed to advance the training of each participant by having them pursue a specific, time-limited project in association with Museum professionals in the Museum setting. The applicant's project must fit into one or more of the main research areas of interest in the Museum's Scientific Divisions: Anthropology, Invertebrate Zoology, Paleontology, Physical Sciences (Astrophysics and Earth & Planetary Sciences), or Vertebrate Zoology.

Appointments are typically made for two years. In addition to a competitive salary and benefits, limited relocation, research and publication support is provided.

Co-Funding Opportunities/Special Funds

• 1a. Gerstner Scholars Program - Biology
• 1b. Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund - North American Fauna
• 1c. Lerner-Gray Fund - Marine Research 

If you are proposing a project that engages the mission one or more of the Museum’s special funds, you are required to submit a related abstract. Read the special fund descriptions on below carefully and apply accordingly. When proposals relate to more than one fund, multiple abstracts are required.

Gerstner Scholars Program - Biology

The Gerstner Scholars Program Generously funded by Mr. Louis V. Gerstner Jr., the Gerstner Scholars program encourages and supports groundbreaking research in biology, with an emphasis on genomics, including such topics as microbes, mammals, invertebrates, marine life, and computational biology. The work of scholars at AMNH co-supported through this competitive program will have implications for such broad themes as human and medical research that is informed by understanding the scientific composition and behavior of other species; and advancing our understanding of the evolution and diversity of species and the "tree of life." Chosen for their creative approaches to research questions that are likely to lead to important new discoveries in their respective fields, Gerstner Scholars will include biological scientists who have demonstrated outstanding performance that merits recognition early in their careers. 

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund - North American Fauna

The Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund for North American Research Applicants proposing to conduct research in any phase of wildlife conservation or related fields of North American fauna - terrestrial and freshwater (rivers, lakes, streams), extant or fossil - are required to apply to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund. North America includes everything north of the Isthmus of Panama, including the Caribbean.

• There are two exceptions to this application:
• Applicants submitting research proposals on birds, even within North America, must apply instead to the Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund Program,  not to the Theodore Roosevelt Fund.
• Applicants submitting research proposals on ocean/sea marine life and environments must apply to the Lerner-Gray Fund, not to the Theodore Roosevelt Fund.

Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research

The Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research Applicants proposing to conduct research in systematics, evolution, ecology, paleontology or zoology of marine life and environments are required to apply to the Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research.

• There is one exception to this application:
  • Postdoctoral applicants proposing to conduct freshwater research in North America should apply to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund, not to the Lerner-Gray Fund.