Jerry Liguori Raptor Conservation and Education Scholarship

Awarded each fall to celebrate the annual fall migration of raptors, the Jerry Liguori Raptor Conservation and Education Scholarship will provide approximately $10,000 in funding in 2023, with average awards ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. The goal is to support raptor-centered efforts in the three areas Jerry was most passionate about: 

Identifying Raptors
Studying the nuanced shapes, behaviors, and features unique to different raptors is a life-long endeavor. Jerry was passionate about supporting those just beginning to learn raptor identification, as well as conducting novel research to learn more about the phylogeny of species.

Counting Migrating Raptors
Jerry knew that scanning the huge sky and using inflight identification skills to document migration was both fun and critical for science. That skill development—and the information it uncovers—is critical to the appreciation and conservation of raptors.

Educating People about Raptors
At any given point in time, there is a good chance that if you look up, you’ll see a raptor. Jerry knew that this accessibility meant that introducing people to raptors can open them to a whole new world where nature and conservation are witnessed and appreciated.

Minimum Requirements
The Jerry Liguori Raptor Conservation and Education Scholarship aims to fund projects that: 

• Closely align with Jerry's areas of interest (listed above)
• Can be largely supported by funding from the scholarship
• Not supported through traditional funding sources

How & When To Apply Timeline
Pre-proposals for the scholarship must be submitted by May 26, 2023. The committee will review pre-proposals and invite the top-scoring applicants to submit a full proposal containing a more detailed project description and budget. Full proposals are due June 12, 2023. Awards will be made no later than July 10, 2023.

Are you having trouble accessing or submitting the form? Please reach out to us at hwi@hawkwatch.org for technical assistance or with any questions.

What The Grant Won’t Fund
We will not fund projects that:

• Take place outside North America (work in Canada and Mexico IS permissible!)
• Support minors, unless they have an adult co-applicant
• Are solo or group trips simply to watch hawks for fun
• Request funding to purchase personal optics/camera equipment
• Request funding for full season support for counters at an existing/established watch site
• Would require special federal and/or state permitting (e.g., for raptor handling), unless those permits were already secured prior to grant application submission
• Are not approved by the committee/committee leadership