Waterbird Society Research Award
This grant, established in 2018, is funded through an endowment set up by the Waterbird Society. The Society’s primary goals are to: (1) Promote basic and applied research on waterbirds and their habitat, (2) Foster science-based waterbird conservation, and (3) Enhance communication and education at all levels among professionals, policy makers and citizens.
About the Waterbird Society Research Award
The goal of the Waterbird Society Research Award is to encourage significant advances in the biology, ecology, status assessment or conservation biology of waterbirds. The Grants Committee currently solicits proposals for this award that focus on:
- Basic research on species not covered by other Waterbird Society grants,
- Monitoring projects that contribute to the knowledge of waterbird population status, distribution, abundance or trends, especially for species that are data deficient or where there are significant information gaps in the core areas of a species’ range, or
- Work that makes a substantial contribution to waterbird conservation.
These grants are open globally to any student, professional, or amateur. Financial and education status of applicants are not considerations. Selection is made by a committee based on: (a) sound study designs, methods and analytical approaches for addressing objectives, testing hypotheses or deriving robust, unbiased estimates of population distribution (including habitat associations), abundance or trends, and (b) the likelihood of publishing timely and substantial contributions to the literature and/or making a significant contribution to the conservation of waterbirds. No distinction will be made between research, monitoring-based or conservation proposals; each type of study will be assessed on its merits. Depending on the scientific merit of the competition, awards will be offered in most years – one or more awards up to a total of $5,000. Applicants for the Waterbird Society Research Award are not eligible to submit the same proposal for consideration for either the Kushlan or Nisbet awards. The Grants Committee reserves the right to move a proposal to different category if warranted.
View our grant proposal guidelines and general information for applicants.
Proposals are due by February 1st. The award or awards, if any, will be announced no later than March 15st.
The recipients of awards are encouraged to publish their reports in peer-reviewed outlets and expected to acknowledge both the Waterbird Society Research Award and the Waterbird Society for support. Recipients are also expected to submit a short (1-2 page) report to the Grants Committee, annually until the work is completed, summarizing the results of their research project and listing any publications, reports, presentations, etc. arising from it.
How to Submit a Grant Application
Grant applications should be submitted electronically via this Google Form. Any questions, please email Dr. Kate Sheehan or Dr. Liz Craig (co-Chairs, Grants Committee).