Melanie Colón

This postgraduate student award was made possible through the generosity of Allen Keast, Emeritus Professor of Biology at Queens University, Kingston Ontario, Canada. Professor Keast was arguably Australia's most influential ornithologist if account is taken of the scope of his research, the number of scientists with whom he worked, and the part he played in educating the global ornithological community about Australia's birds. His desire to fund this award stems from a lifelong passion to encourage and support young ornithologists. He was made a Fellow of the RAOU in 1965 and awarded the D.L. Serventy Medal in 1995. Professor Keast sadly passed away in 2009. Applying for the Award Applications for the Prof Allen Keast Research Award are now being accepted. The closing date for applications is 5pm, March 31. Submit one application for a research award as the Professor Allen Keast, Stuart Leslie and Emu – Austral Ornithology Research Awards are all assessed simultaneously. Applications in the following areas are encouraged: Field work on the behaviour and ecology of native Australian birds Conservation biology of threatened native birds and management of their habitats

This Award was established in 1997 by Mr Stuart Leslie AM, who was then one of Birds Australia's long-time major donors and a keen bird watcher. Aware of the crucial importance of ongoing ornithological research and the financial challenges facing Australian students, Mr Leslie generously committed to giving $15,000 per year to support post-graduate field work and travel to scientific conferences. In late 2004, he was awarded a Fellowship of the RAOU. Since establishment, the Award has provided $425,000 and has assisted more than 200 projects, including studies on threatened species such as the Powerful Owl, Regent Honeyeater and Hooded Plover. Each year, the number of applications received has increased steadily, evidence of the vital need for grant schemes such as the Stuart LeslieAward. Mr Leslie chose to fund bird research because they are good indicators of the overall health of the environment. He encouraged other individuals and corporations to consider donating to research organisations. "Wildlife research is vital to our future. Bird species are declining and we often don't know why. Many Australians are in the position, individually or through their business, to make a real difference to the future of our wildlife. It is a relatively easy and immensely satisfying thing to do." The Stuart Leslie Bird Research Award (SLBRA) will continue into the future thanks to a generous bequest from Mr Leslie, who passed away in 2005, and the ongoing support from Mrs Leslie and the Stuart Leslie Foundation.

Research grants of $1,500, $3,000 and $5,000 are available subject to certain conditions. Grants are available for conservation work or research that has an intended conservation benefit. An analysis of the award scheme was published in a recent article in Neotropical Birding which can be read here. Advice for Applicants Click here for details Applications must be submitted on the form provided click here for details , preferably by email. Applications are assessed twice yearly, with deadlines on 1st January and 1st July. An initial assessment is made by a conservation sub-committee and sent for peer-review and the applications that best match the aims of the programme then have to be approved by the Council of the Neotropical Bird Club. You will be informed of the outcome of your application as soon as possible thereafter (usually within 1 month of the application deadline). Awards are only given to projects carried out by nationals and/or residents of countries in the Neotropics (i.e. the Caribbean, Central America and South America). Additionally, applicants are advised that, other than in exceptional cases, awards will only be given to projects that meet all of the following criteria: Projects with a total budget small enough for the NBC award to be a significant proportion of that total. Projects that are likely to achieve constructive local engagement in some form, such as environmental education in local communities, working with local decision-making or land-management organisations, or local/international publicity. Projects that are likely to achieve global conservation benefit. This means that the project must target either globally threatened species or globally important sites, as defined below, in order to be eligible for funding, unless there is an exceptional reason to waive this rule (e.g. species new to science). It is essential that your project makes a direct contribution to species or site conservation, or as a minimum is developed in close collaboration with a conservation agency or organisation. We do not fund projects that lack a strong conservation focus, e.g. pure avian biology research. Environmental education projects that encourage the conservation of threatened species or globally important sites are eligible. Globally threatened species — those on the IUCN’s global red list — are defined and appear on the website www.birdlife.org/datazone/index.html. We advise that you look at this website when drafting your project proposal. Note that the NBC does not fund work on species that are only threatened at the national level, and, only rarely funds projects on the globally threatened subspecies of birds that are not threatened at the species level. Site-based projects must focus on the conservation of either a) an Important Bird Area (IBA), or an area proposed as an IBA or recently found to qualify for designation as an IBA; or b) a site within an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) holding habitats that are important to the restricted-range bird species that define the EBA; or c) a protected or potentially protected area that holds or is expected to hold Threatened or Near Threatened bird species. For information on IBAs and EBAs and how they are designated, see www.birdlife.org/datazone/index.html. If you have further enquiries please contact Rob Clay or Chris Sharpe via NBCawards@gmail.com

The goal of the Neotropical Ornithological Society’s Francois Vuilleumier Fund is to award one or more cash grants per year for thesis studies of Neotropical birds to one or several graduate students from any country in Latin America and the Caribbean. The funds are provided to assist thesis research by students, enrolled in an institution in the Neotropics who have little or no access to funds within their country or at their institution. Awards will be competitive and are expected to be in the range of $500–$1000. Students from Latin America and the Caribbean enrolled in a graduate degree program (Masters or Ph.D.) at an institution in the Neotropical Region are eligible to apply.

The Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia is a registered charity (no 282938) and exists to collect, collate and publish data on all aspects of the Ornithology of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia region.

The Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia is a registered charity (no 282938) and exists to collect, collate and publish data on all aspects of the Ornithology of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia region. The Ornithological Society of the Middle East was formed in April 1978 as a successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey and was expanded in 2001 to cover the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its aims are as follows: To collect, collate and publish ornithological data on birds of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. To encourage an interest in and conservation of birds of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. To assist environmental and conservation organisations and natural history societies in and concerned with ornithological studies and activities in the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The OSME region lies between Europe, China and the Horn of Africa on two major migration flyways crossing Central Asia’s wind-swept steppes, the Caucasus’s towering mountains, Arabia’s wide arid deserts and the tropical seas of the Indian Ocean.

The PPG Industries Conservation & Sustainability Fund is designed to further the mission of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium by awarding grants between $1,000 and $3,000. Over the past decade, we have funded over 100 projects in 40 countries and 2 oceans. WHAT WE FUND: A wide variety of projects will be considered, but field studies and cross-disclipinary approaches to conservation are especially encouraged. For projects conducted outside the United States, evidence of strong local involvement is essential. WHAT WE DO NOT FUND: Visitor surveys, husbandry projects, training (except for foreign researchers), and travel (except to bring foreign researchers to meetings) are NOT appropriate for this fund.

The PPG Industries Conservation & Sustainability Fund is designed to further the mission of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium by awarding grants between $1,000 and $3,000. Over the past decade, we have funded over 100 projects in 40 countries and 2 oceans.

The research award funds current investigation into the behavior, breeding ecology, migration, winter ecology, toxicology, or evolution of loons.

In the spirit of nature writer and conservationist Sigurd F. Olson, the Institute works with Northland College and regional partners to promote stewardship, identify opportunities, deliver educational programs, and facilitate solutions that address environmental issues throughout the North Country.

The Webster Groves Nature Study Society is pleased to announce that applications are being accepted for the Bo Koster Grant for Nature Study, an annual award to support the fieldwork of a college student in natural history. Eligible students are those registered for graduate or undergraduate degrees from accredited universities in Missouri and Illinois. Bo Koster was an avid birder and a researcher in diabetes. Students planning field work in such areas as ornithology, systematics of plants or animals, entomology, forestry, ecology, behavior, population genetics, conservation, biogeography, or those desiring to attend a field station to take formal course work in such areas are invited to apply for the competitive grant. The amount to be awarded will be up to $3,000. The award will be made to the applicant’s institution which is expected to establish and monitor a fund as appropriate to curate the stipend. The funds may carry over beyond the year of award if such is to the benefit of the awardee’s research. The Bo Koster Grant for Nature Study will not pay overhead to any institution.

The Webster Groves Nature Study Society is pleased to announce that applications are being accepted for the Mickey Scudder Scholarship in Field Biology, an annual award to support the field work of a graduate student in natural history. Eligible graduate students are those registered for advanced degrees (M.S., M.A. or Ph.D.) at universities of the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan area. These institutions include: St. Louis University, The University of Southern Illinois, Edwardsville, The University of Missouri at St. Louis and Washington University. Mickey Scudder is well remembered for her infectious enthusiasm towards field work, particularly with wild birds. Consequently, graduate students planning field work in such areas as ornithology, systematics of plants or animals, entomology, forestry, ecology, behavior, population genetics, etc. or those desiring to attend a field station to take formal course work in such areas are invited to apply for the competitive scholarship. The amount to be awarded will be up to $1,000 to a single student. The award period will be June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014. The award will be made to the applicant’s institution which is expected to establish and monitor a fund as appropriate to curate the stipend. The funds may carry over beyond the year of award if such is to the benefit of the awardee’s research. The Scudder Scholarship will not pay overhead to any institution.

The Menke scholarship for Missouri college or university students honors Don and Nell Menke, long-term members of WGNSS and lifelong birders and wildflower experts, and their son, David Menke, long-time outdoor recreation planner for the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The scholarship awards grants totaling up to $1,000, for one year commencing June 1, to be administered without overhead by the recipient’s institution. The scholarship’s goal is to increase and improve wildlife habitat in Missouri by planting, protecting, managing, publicizing, and in various other ways demonstrating specific habitat improvement for specific threatened and rare species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals or invertebrates, over the course of the scholarship year. Recipients may work or intern with complementary conservation programs. Applicants typically major in areas such as biology, botany, zoology, natural history, environmental education, ecological research or management, natural horticulture, fisheries and wildlife, forestry, geology, conservation, etc., but meeting the scholarship’s goals is more important than the major field itself. For example, applicants are welcome from political science, social studies, pre-law, and so on.

The city of Webster Groves, Missouri, is one of the oldest "suburbs" of St. Louis. Shortly after World War I, citizens of Webster Groves and members of various garden clubs were invited to a meeting by Alfred F. Satterthwait to form an organization to study nature. The result was the formation of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society in 1920 with 85 adult and 30 junior members. The society, usually known as "WIG-NESS," has grown to become the principal organization of amateur naturalists in the St. Louis area. For historical reasons the name has remained unchanged, although there are about 400 members scattered throughout the St. Louis area and several states.

The Fellowship of Graduate Student Travel (FGST) is a new award generously established in 2002 by the SICB. The purpose of these fellowships is to provide student funds for travel and other expenses at distant research laboratories, museums, or field sites. The primary purpose is for travel to "distant" research sites to learn specialized techniques or to use unique equipment or collections. Awards are made payable to the individual recipients. No part of an award may be used for the payment of indirect costs to the recipient's institution. All funds must be expended directly in support of the proposed investigation.

SICB fosters research, education, public awareness and understanding of living organisms from molecules and cells to ecology and evolution. SICB encourages interdisciplinary cooperative research that integrates across scales, and new models and methodologies to enhance research and education. Formeryly American Society of Zoologists

The SCO-SOC administers 3 student research awards: The Taverner Awards The James L. Baillie Award The Fred Cooke Award Applicants must be SCO-SOC members to be eligible (Note: Membership is based on the calendar year so will expire on December 31st of the year in which you register, while registration after October 1st will be valid through December 31st of the following year. Multi-year memberships will be treated similarly, expiring on December 31st of the last year for which you register.) A single application can be made to apply for all 3 types of student research awards. Download the application form (including instructions) for the 2020 awards. Application deadline is 2 March 2020 Applications should be emailed to: Dr. Nicola Koper Chair, SCO-SOC Student Awards Committee Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MN R3T 2M6 E-mail: Nicola Koper (nicola.koper@umanitoba.ca) TAVERNER AWARDS Taverner Awards are offered by the SCO-SOC to honour Percy A. Taverner and to further his accomplishments in increasing the knowledge of Canadian birds through research, conservation, and public education. The awards are aimed at people with limited or no access to major funding, regardless of professional status, who are undertaking ornithological work in Canada. Two awards of up to $2,000 each are made annually. JAMES L. BAILLIE AWARD The James L. Baillie Student Research Award is open to any student conducting ornithological research at a Canadian university. It honours the memory of James L. Baillie and shall be for research that is consistent with the objectives of the James L. Baillie Memorial Fund. These are to support: studies of Canadian birds in their natural environment; projects which contribute to preservation of birds; and projects which disseminate knowledge of birds. The James L. Baillie Student Research Award is funded by Long Point Bird Observatory / Bird Studies Canada from proceeds of the Baillie Birdathon, and is administered by the SCO-SOC. One award of up to $2000 is made annually. FRED COOKE AWARD The Fred Cooke Student Award is offered jointly by the SCO-SOC and Bird Studies Canada to honour the contributions of Professor Fred Cooke to Canadian ornithology by supporting ornithological conference travel or research activities by a student at a Canadian university. The award shall be open to any student conducting ornithological research at a Canadian university, except that previous recipients of the award shall not be eligible. The award shall be for travel to ornithological conferences at which the student will make an oral or poster presentation, or research in any aspect of ornithology anywhere in the world. One award of up to $1000 is made annually.

The award consists of a plaque bearing the logo of the Society, as well as the name of the award, the recipient, year and purpose of the award. The award is presented at the Society’s annual meeting.

The Doris Huestis Speirs Award is the most prestigious award given by the SCO-SOC. The award is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding lifetime contributions in Canadian ornithology. Past awardees include professionals who work at museums, government agencies, private companies and universities, as well as amateur ornithologists and people who have contributed to ornithological infrastructure of Canada.

The Purple Martin Conservation Association's Research and Conservation Grants are offered for the purpose of promoting and facilitating research on, and conservation of Purple Martins. However, under certain circumstances, we will consider funding projects on other species of New World swallows, especially if the species is threatened or endangered. We will not fund projects testing martin house design preference (we are conducting such research at our headquarters), nor will we fund the placement of housing for strictly aesthetic or humanitarian purposes. We will, however, consider funding the placement of housing for conservation purposes. PMCA Research and Conservation Grants are provided to defray the expenses incurred in the course of scientific research and conservation. Grants may cover travel, supplies and equipment, but shall not include salaries or overhead charges to institutions or agencies.

Policy: The North American Bluebird Society accepts and reviews grants twice a year. The deadlines for submitting grants are December 1 and June 1. The review process is usually completed by February 1 and August 1 respectively. Priority is given to research regarding bluebirds but grants involving all native cavity nesting birds will certainly be considered on their merits. Since 2007, eleven NABS grants have been awarded for research pertaining to Eastern, Western and Mountain Bluebirds, Prothonotary Warblers, Barn Owls, American Kestrels, and Purple Martins, etc. The NABS grants have ranged from $500 to $5,000 and the average has been approximately $1,800.

TIOF research grants are awarded annually for osprey and other raptor-related research in the United States and worldwide.

Dedicated to the ongoing preservation of the Osprey The International Osprey Foundation is dedicated to the continuing preservation and recovery of the Osprey, others in the raptor family, wildlife and the environment as a whole. The foundation conducts monitoring activities and accumulates data specific to the breeding activities of the Osprey population on Sanibel Island, Florida. The data is made available through the foundation’s newsletter publications which can be obtained by interested parties or organizations on request and on this website. The foundation can issue grants to researchers whose studies involve environmental concerns. The Foundation directs and participates in all areas of wildlife habitat maintenance and restoration.

Each year Hawk Mountain offers competitive grants to graduate students working on raptors at major universities throughout the United States and elsewhere. Support is limited to areas of interest to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, including the movement ecology, conservation status, and protection of birds of prey. Recent projects have involved studies of the flight behavior of long-distance raptor migrants in Panama, the conservation status of Turkey Vultures in the Falkland Islands, the migration behavior of Turkey Vultures in North, Central, and South America, and the movement ecology and flight behavior of five species of vultures in East Africa. The Sanctuary's Acopian Center provides a model setting for library research, proposal writing, analyses of field observations, and thesis and dissertation write-ups.

Hawk Mountain is... A scientific research center An international conservation training site A learning facility for all ages An eco-tourism destination A wildlife sanctuary open to the public year-round The world's largest member-supported raptor conservation organization One of the best places in northeastern North America to view the annual autumn hawk migration