Search Through Earth Science Grants in the U.S.

Mission

Maintain and grow a permanent non-profit foundation supporting educational and scientific activities in the field of geology.

Pursuing Our Mission

We receive dozens of requests for funding each year. Our Board of Trustees prioritizes each one, supporting those that best match our mission.

Our Funding Priorities

Education

Supporting educational opportunities and spreading knowledge around the globe, including continuing education, K-12 students, teachers, academics, university-level students and the general public.

Public Outreach

Educating the public on key aspects of geoscience and petroleum geology through opportunities such as the sponsorship, training and support of teachers in their efforts to bring more geology-related topics to classrooms.

University Student Support

Encouraging the study of geosciences at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Educator Recognition

Recognizing and rewarding outstanding efforts in teaching earth sciences at the K-12 and university levels.

Knowledge Preservation

Providing access to archived geoscience digital library collections to educators, students, professionals and the general public.

Dissemination of Information

Communicating swiftly changing technological advances to the geological community through journals and special publications.

Emerging Opportunities

Funding future-oriented projects that help society through a better understanding of geology—especially petroleum geology. Includes programs that expose the public to world-renowned geoscientists and training teachers in earth sciences.

Research Projects

Supporting research projects within the geosciences. For information, contact a Foundation Representative or email us.

Mission

The Brinson Foundation is a privately funded philanthropic organization that provides an opportunity to focus our family’s common interests in encouraging personal initiative, advancing individual freedoms & liberties and positively contributing to society in the areas of education and scientific research.

Vision

We envision a society that cares for all of its members and endeavors to enhance individual self-worth and dignity. We also envision a world where every individual is a valued and productive member of society, where all people are committed to improving their lives and the quality of their environments.

Priority Areas

Education

We believe education provides people with the opportunity to expand their talents and capabilities. Through our grantmaking, we hope to inspire them to reach their full potential both as individuals and as contributing citizens of a greater community. We are especially interested in programs that make quality education accessible to those who are personally committed.

Education grants are made in the following focus areas:

• Health Care Career Development – programs that spark interest among high school and college students in health care-related career paths or provide professional development and accreditation supports for existing health care professionals.
• High School, College and Career Success – programs that provide motivated students and young adults of limited means with the academic support, personal skills, and financial resources needed to reach their full potential in school and careers.
• Liberty, Citizenship, and Free Enterprise – programs that educate and promote the principles of liberty, citizenship, and free enterprise to elementary through graduate school students and adults.
• Literacy – programs that develop the literacy skills of children, birth through elementary school age, improve the pedagogy of teachers, and ensure support for this learning among parents so that young children become functionally literate and are prepared for success in their future education and in life.
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) – programs that provide STEM education for youth and adults, promote careers in STEM, support professional development for STEM educators, and communicate STEM content to the general public.
• Student Health – programs that foster the health of preschool through high school students to help them stay enrolled and be productive in school.

Scientific Research

We support basic, cutting edge research in specific areas of interest that are underfunded or at a stage in which they are unlikely to receive government funding. These grants are typically made to top research institutions, which provide quality assurance oversight and accountability that may not be possible in a less structured environment. Support is often specific to graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, staff scientists, or faculty who are at the early stages of their careers.

Scientific Research grants are made in the following focus areas:

• Astrophysics/Cosmology – the study of the behavior, physical properties, and dynamic processes of celestial objects and related phenomena; and the study of the origin and evolution of the Universe and its largest structures.
• Evolutionary Developmental Biology – a field of biology which synthesizes embryology, molecular and population genetics, comparative morphology, paleontology, and molecular evolution to understand the evolution of biodiversity at a mechanistic level.
• Geosciences – the study of the physical processes and phenomena that form and shape Earth and other planets, including fields such as geology, seismology, and volcanology.
• Medical Research – promising studies conducted by early career scientists that have the potential to develop innovative clinical interventions for chronic conditions, as well as for highly treatable conditions which negatively impact the productivity of large segments of the population. In all cases, we focus our medical research funding in areas that improve the quality of life as distinct from solely extending life.

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.

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 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. 

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.

Background

With generous support from the Weston Family Foundation, 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 along with mentorship from WCS Canada scientists and an opportunity to network with other Fellows and Fellowship alumni. 

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. Research that takes place outside of these areas and supports WCS Canada’s vision and mission, particularly around Key Biodiversity Areas, peatlands, and species at risk in the boreal, may also be eligible.

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.

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

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.

Earth and Space Foundation

Mission Statement

“Society now faces the dual challenge of the environmental preservation of Earth and the exploration of space. Both are essential to our quality of life and our future. Neither goal can exclude the other and success in either requires boldly advancing on both. By supporting and encouraging exploration that bridges these complementary goals, the Earth and Space Foundation seeks to promote and fulfil the vision of Earth as an oasis, cared for by a space faring society.”

This is the mission statement of the Earth and Space Foundation. From remote sensing of endangered habitats using satellites to the study of microorganisms and human performance in extreme environments in order to understand the potential for life on other planets and assist in the human expansion to these new worlds, there are universal ties between space exploration and the preservation of Earth. By funding innovative field and laboratory work, the Foundation seeks to bring the environmental and space exploration communities together to address the challenges now facing human society.

Earth and Space Exploration Award

The Earth and Space Foundation awards small grants to projects that either use knowledge of Earth’s environments to advance the settlement of space or use space exploration and data to improve the preservation of Earth, thus advancing its vision of “the Earth as an oasis, cared for by a space-faring civilization.”

Projects supported have ranged from the use of space stations to study the effects of microgravity on miniature, self-contained biospheres to help us understand how the Earth’s biosphere works through to caving expeditions that improve our understanding of extraterrestrial caves for human settlement. We have also supported many studies that use satellite and space technology to help monitor habitats and threatened environments on Earth, and the study of extreme environments on Earth to help us understand space environments.

Categories of Exploration Supported

Below you can find a summary of the types of projects we support that advance the links between environmentalism and space exploration.

They fit into two types:

• Using space to maintain the Earth as an oasis
  • This category includes:
    • Use of space data and materials to improve Earth.
      • Environmental work using technologies resulting from space exploration.
        • Includes the novel use of satellite communications, GPS, remote sensing, advanced materials and power sources for understanding our environment.
      • The use of data from extraterrestrial exploration to help further our understanding of the Earth’s environments and the biosphere.
        • Includes samples and data returned from missions in Earth orbit and beyond.
    • Educational advancement at the interface of environmentalism and space exploration.
      • Projects that improve public understanding of the links between environmentalism and space exploration.
• Using knowledge of Earth to build a space-faring civilization
  • This category includes:
    • Astrobiology-related fieldwork or ‘analog’ field work.
      • Field research in Earth’s extreme environments that assists in the study of habitability elsewhere in the Universe, the study of the survival of life in extreme environments, and the search for life beyond Earth.
    • Field research applying Earth’s environmental and biological resources toward the human exploration and settlement of space.
      • Includes the use of extraterrestrial ‘analog’ environments on Earth to test space technologies, and human physiological and psychological studies in extreme environments.
    • Astronomy at the interface between Earth and space exploration / astroarchaeology.
      • Includes expeditions making astronomical observations from remote, difficult to access Earth locations, archaeological field projects studying the development of early civilizations that made significant contributions to astronomy and space sciences, field expeditions studying the way in which views of the astronomical environment shaped the nature of past civilizations.

Funding

There is one funding round per year. Awards are currently the equivalent of about £450.

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.

Planning Grants

Planning grants will support work between two or more institutions (one of which must be an MSI) that are seeking to set the stage for the establishment of a partnership or set of partnerships that engage and model the expertise of the MSI to yield systemic change, but which first require an assessment of the need and timing for partnership activities. Projects must demonstrate a clear roadmap to partnership through a well-defined set of planning activities.

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).