Human Ecology Funding Sources

Richard McElreath, Chair

Source: British Air Assisting Conservation Programme
Funding Type: Travel support
Deadline: Open
Emphasis: Research that addresses general issues of species and/or ecosystem conservation. Specific emphasis placed in threatened species and environmental education. Must have host country support and association with other "major conservation organization(s)".
Contact: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/comrelglobal/public/en_gb
Size of Awards: Free British Air tickets
Eligibility: No restrictions

Source: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: open
Emphasis: The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium commitment to field conservation is expressed through our conservation fund. This fund serves as a small grants program that field researchers throughout the world can access by submitting applications directly to the Field Conservation Coordinator. The conservation committee reviews proposals each month, and in 2001, the zoo provided funds to over 80 projects in 27 countries.
Contact: Rebecca Rose, Conservation Coordinator, brose@colszoo.org 
Size of awards: maximum $USD 10,000
Eligibility: contact for more information

Source: Earthwatch
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: Open (submission expected 13 months before proposed start date)
Emphasis: Labor-intensive research that spans the life sciences, including research in: animal behavior, biodiversity, ecology, ornithology, endangered species, and resource and wildlife management. Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged. MUST incorporate Earthwatch volunteers.
Contact: http://www.earthwatch.org/ 
Size of Awards: $USD 6,000 - 135,000
Eligibility: No restrictions

Source: EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Graduate Environmental Education Fellowship
Funding Type: Academic fellowship
Deadline: January 31st
Emphasis: Academic disciplines relating to environmental management including physical, biological and social sciences; mathematics and computer science; engineering; and environmental law.
Contact: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/ 
Size of Awards: Up to 3 years of support providing up to $USD 34,000/year
Eligibility: Not eligible after 4th year in program

Source: The Explorers Club
Funding Type: esearch expenses
Deadline: January 31st
Emphasis: General support for field-based research and exploration. No specific area of interest stated.
Contact: http://www.explorers.org 
Size of Awards: Up to $USD 1,200
Eligibility: No restrictions

Source: Joseph L. Fisher Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
Funding Type: Academic fellowship
Deadline: February 28th
Emphasis: In honor of the late Joseph L. Fisher, President of Resources for the Future (RFF) from 1959-1974, RFF will award fellowships in support of doctoral dissertation research on issues related to the environment, natural resources, or energy. RFF's primary research disciplines are economics and other social sciences. Proposals originating in these fields will have the greatest likelihood of success. Proposals from the physical or biological sciences must have an immediate and obvious link to environmental policy matters to be considered.
Contact: http://www.rff.org/about_rff/fisher.htm 
Size of Awards: $USD 12,000
Eligibility: Ph.D. candidates in their last year; no nationality restrictions.

Source: Fulbright Program
Funding Type: Fellowship for graduate study
Deadline: October
Emphasis: Support for all areas of field research in most countries (there are some exceptions). The fellowship recipient is usually expected to stay in the country where they are conducting research for the entire fellowship period (one year). Applications are made through the Office of Graduate Studies, University of California, Davis and an interview is required for selected individuals. Language evaluation is sometimes required.
Contact: Deborah McCook, Fellowship / External Awards Adviser (Office of Graduate Studies) dlmccook@ucdavis.edu, (530) 752-7481
Size of awards: approx. $USD 10,000-15,000 (depends on the country)
Eligibility: graduate students

Source: Gifford Center for Population Issues, UC Davis
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: Changes annually, usually mid to late winter.
Emphasis: Small Grants Program for Research on Population, Food and the Environment. Provides seed money for research that links the issues of population growth, food production and consumption, environmental impact and human health, with an emphasis on developing countries.
Contact: Kathryn Dewey, Director of the Gifford Center, Department of Nutrition, Phone: 752-0851, Fax: 752-3406, E-mail: kgdewey@ucdavis.edu
Size of Awards: up to $USD 7,000
Eligibility: No restrictions

Source: Inter American Institute for Global Change Research
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: February 25th
Emphasis: The program supports small research/capacity building/planning activities that will facilitate development of larger science programs and research networks. Themes are understanding climate variability in the Americas; comparative studies of ecosystems, biodiversity, land use, and water resources in the Americas; changes in the composition of the atmosphere, oceans and fresh waters, and integrated assessment, human dimensions and applications. One-time awards will be made on a competitive basis. High priority will be given to new / young scientists of IAI member countries. The purpose of the program is to facilitate review of selected global change issues and plan future research.
Contact: http://www.iai.int
Size of Awards: Up to $USD 30,000
Eligibility: Not specified

Source: The Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: February 1st
Emphasis: The University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation sponsors UC graduate students and faculty from all nine campuses in an annual fellowship, internship and grant competition. Since its beginning, IGCC has committed significant resources to stimulating independent research and course development on the causes of international conflict and opportunities to promote international cooperation.
Contact: http://igcc.ucsd.edu/
Size of Awards: Up to $USD 16,000
Eligibility: University of California doctoral students including J.D./Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. are eligible. Candidates must advance to candidacy to receive funding. U.S. citizenship is not required. Multidisciplinary approaches and policy relevant work is encouraged. IGCC fellowships are not intended for UC student fees and tuition.

Source: Leakey Foundation
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: January 5th, August 15
Emphasis: The Leakey Foundation was formed to further research into human origins. Recent priorities include research into the environments, archeology, and human paleontology of the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene; into the behavior, morphology, and ecology of the great apes and other primate species; and into the behavioral ecology of contemporary hunter-gatherers.
Contact: http://www.leakeyfoundation.org
Size of Awards: $USD 3,000-12,000
Eligibility: Ph.D. advanced to candidacy; no nationality restrictions

Source: Charles A. and Morrow Lindbergh Foundation Grants Program
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: June 11th
Emphasis: Research that represents a significant contribution toward the achievement of a better balance between technology and our human and natural environment. The program is interested in a very wide range of topic areas from agriculture to health and population science.
Contact: lindfdtn@mtn.org
Size of Awards: Up to $USD 10,580
Eligibility: No restrictions

Source: Social Science Research Council/ Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Funding Type: International Dissertation Field Research Fellowships
Deadline: November 5th
Emphasis: Provides support for social scientists and humanists to conduct dissertation research. The program invites proposals for field research in all areas and regions of the world, as well as for research that is comparative, cross-regional and/or cross-cultural. Applicants must have completed all Ph.D. requirements except the fieldwork component by the time the fellowship begins. Proposals that identify the US as a case for comparative inquiry are welcome, however, proposals that require no field research outside the US are not eligible. Standard fellowships will provide support for 9-12 months of field research and related expenses; fellowships will not be given for less than 6 months of fieldwork.
Contact: http://www.ssrc.org
Size of awards: maximum $USD 16,000
Eligibility: full-time graduate students enrolled in doctoral programs in the US; no nationality restrictions

Source: National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Award
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: January 1st, July 1st
Emphasis: The NSF Dissertation improvement Awards support basic research in a variety of scientific fields. On the most general level, the review panel looks for projects that advance our theoretical understanding are more scientifically meritorious than descriptive projects which add a case study of some (albeit fascinating and topical) situation. Outstanding proposals specify how the knowledge to be created advances our theoretical understanding of the study situation, so that people interested in similar situations in different contexts will learn from the project's outcome.
Contact: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06605/nsf06605.htm
Size of Awards: Up to $USD 12,000
Eligibility: PhD advanced to candidacy

Source: The Rufford Foundation
Funding Type: Research/ Pilot Studies
Deadline: January, April, July, October
Emphasis: Provides funding for nature conservation projects. Rufford Small Grants are aimed at smaller conservation programmes than those covered by the main Awards, including pilot projects. They are not designed to provide a small part of the funding for a large undertaking. The project requiring funding must be directly linked to fieldwork and Rufford Small Grants may not be used to pay the costs of attending conferences or for tuition fees. Undergraduate projects are not eligible.
Contact: http://www.rufford.org/
Size of awards: maximum $USD 7,500
Eligibility: graduate students

Source: The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation
Funding Type: Academic fellowship
Deadline: nomination December 7th, application January 31st
Emphasis: Support for projects that have direct, early and measurable results in improving the quality of our natural environment. There is no restriction on field of study. A scientific background, technical knowledge and analytical skills are important. Favor is given to individuals intending to make careers in non-profit, local and governmental agencies.
Contact: http://www.switzernetwork.org/
Size of Awards: $USD 13,000
Eligibility: graduate student (M.S. or Ph.D.); US citizen.

Source: UC Davis
Funding Type: Numerous in-house funding opportunities
Contact: http://www.gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/ssupport/internal.html 

Source: UC Pacific Rim Foundation
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: Jan (campus), Feb (university-wide)
Emphasis: This is a UC-wide program to foster interdisciplinary comparative work between nations of the Pacific Rim. They love interdisciplinary work relating to policy and issues that are specific to the Pacific Rim.
Contact: http://www.ucop.edu/research/pacrim
Size of Awards: No limit, but largest ~$USD 45,000 (average $25,000).
Eligibility: Must be UC student, have UC faculty as PI on project, prefer to have a researcher from another country as well.

Source: The Morris K. Udall Scholarship & Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation
Funding Type: Academic fellowship
Deadline: January 15th
Emphasis: Two Fellowships awarded annually to students whose dissertation is in the area(s) of environmental public policy and/or environmental conflict resolution. Although not specifically stated, research should focus on US environmental policy and conflict resolution.
Contact: http://www.udall.gov
Size of Awards: Up to $USD 24,000
Eligibility: PhD candidates in their last year; must be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

Source: The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Incorporated
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: May 1st, November 1st
Emphasis: Basic research in all branches of anthropology. Grants are made to seed innovative approaches and ideas, to cover specific expenses or phases of a project, and/or to encourage aid from other funding agencies. The foundation particularly invites projects employing comparative perspectives or integrating two or more subfields of anthropology. A small number of awards is available for projects designed to develop resources for anthropological research and scholarly exchange.
Contact: http://www.wennergren.org
Size of Awards: Up to $USD 20,000
Eligibility: Ph.D. advanced to candidacy; no nationality restrictions

Source: Wildlife Conservation Society Research Fellowship Program
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: February, June and October
Emphasis: Research leading directly to the conservation of threatened wildlife and ecosystems
Contact: fellowship@wcs.org
Size of Awards: $USD 1,000 - 20,000
Eligibility: No restrictions

Source: The University of California Research Expeditions Program (UREP)
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: October 15th
Emphasis: The University of California Research Expeditions Program (UREP) provides funds and field assistance to University of California researchers worldwide. UREP funds can be used for short or long term field research, as seed money for new research, to extend continuing projects, supplement other grants and support graduate students or additional staff. Support is provided by selected members of the public who subsidize the research costs through their fees and contributions. At the same time, they contribute their own skills and time as short-term field assistants. Most UREP projects have groups of six to ten participants assisting at any one time for two to four week periods. UREP administers, coordinates and publicizes the expeditions and prepares informational materials for the participants. Researchers review all volunteer applications to select the most appropriate volunteers.
Contact: http://extension.ucdavis.edu/unit/travel_and_tourism/
Size of Awards: Unspecified
Eligibility: Faculty or staff researchers from any UC campus are encouraged to apply for full or partial funding through UREP. Principal Investigator status is not required for consideration. Graduate students may apply as independent field directors with the sponsorship of a faculty advisor or receive full or partial funding as assistants to a faculty member. Projects in any discipline which can incorporate UREP volunteer participation will be considered. Research projects involving specimen collection, excavation, interviewing, field observations, photography or surveying are particularly suited to UREP funding.

Source: The Land Institute's Natural Systems Agriculture Graduate Fellowships
Funding Type: Research expenses
Deadline: March 1st
Emphasis: The Natural Systems Agriculture Graduate Research Fellowship Program was inaugurated in 1998 to award fellowships of up to $6,000 per annum to graduate. Fellows are conducting research projects at the master or doctoral level on university campuses, half working with professors who are members of our Natural Systems Agriculture Advisory Team. Each research project fits the matrix of work planned to bring Natural Systems Agriculture to fruition.
Contact: http://www.landinstitute.org
Size of Awards: Up to $USD 6,000
Eligibility: Students are eligible if currently enrolled in an M.S. or Ph.D. program in a discipline such as: Plant Breeding, Agronomy, Ecology, Evolution, Genetics, Entomology, Pathology, Microbiology, Animal Science, Soil Science, Ecological Modeling and Landscape Ecology. Successful candidates will have strong academic records, some research experience, an interest in agroecology and a commitment to environmental protection and sustainable agriculture.