Kessel Fellowships for Ornithological Research

AOS is pleased to announce up to three new fellowships of $15,000 each for ornithological research. These fellowships have been made possible through a generous bequest by Dr. Brina Kessel and are directed to early career scientists. The full range of ornithological research currently published in peer-reviewed journals, such as studies avian biology, ecology, behavior, conservation, genetics, interdisciplinary work, etc. can be supported. Poultry and agricultural research will not be considered.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a current member of AOS if a resident or current postdoc in the U.S. or Canada, or a current member of another regional ornithological society if a resident outside the U.S. or Canada.

Kessel Fellowships are open to early-career researchers. This includes current PhD students who will have completed their PhD when the grant is awarded and those who have received their PhDs within ten years of the grant submission date (an extra year of eligibility may be granted for parental leave).

The committee will consider the record of membership and participation in AOS for North American applicants and contributions to ornithology and participation in other ornithological societies for applicants from outside North America.

Applicants may not have received a Kessel Fellowship award previously.

A PI may not hold or have held U.S., Canadian, or other federal grant support or university/institutional start-up funds intended for research at the time of their application for this grant. The goal is to provide critical funding to those early career ornithologist who do not have access to other significant funds.

A PI may apply for only one AOS research award (Kessel or Student & Postdoc Research Awards) in a year, and hold only one award at a time. AOS members who have received other research funding from the Society may re-apply as long as they meet eligibility requirements and post-funding requirements (see below).

Grants will be awarded to a single PI (i.e. these are not collaborative grants), although collaborators can be named in grant.  The AOS will only award grant money to a single person, not multiple PIs listed on the same grant.