• These awards are open to applicants, professional, amateur, or student, of any age, globally.

• Proposals will be judged on the basis of the described work's likelihood to contribute significant new information to the published literature regarding the biology, ecology, or conservation biology of wading birds (herons, egrets, storks, ibises, and spoonbills: Kushlan Award) and primarily terns or gulls (Nisbet Grant).

• All awards together will amount to as much as $7,000 (Kushlan Award), with individual awards of from $1,000 to $7,000. Nisbet Grants may be up to $1,000.

• All proposals must be printed in English in standard 12-point font format.

• Proposals should be brief (5 pages total), and should include a cover sheet (click here), a narrative and a budget.

• The narrative should provide a rationale and methodology, including why the work is important and likely to produce significant results.

• The budget should include details regarding how the money requested is to be spent, the total cost of the project, and other sources of potential funding already applied for.

• Verification of appropriate permits from relevant government agencies to carry out the work must be provided in advance of any award.

• Proposals should be submitted electronically in Word or RTF formats.  All correspondence about the application, its receipt and funding decisions will be communicated by e-mail to the applicants.

• All applicants will be notified as soon as a decision regarding each year's awards has been made.

• Proposals are due 15 July. Awards will be announced 1 October, annually.

Grant applications should be submitted to:

R. Michael Erwin
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Department of Environmental Sciences
291 McCormick Road - Clark Hall
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
phone: (434) 924-3207  fax: (434) 982-2137
or e-mail: rme5g@virginia.edu

Information on other ornithological grants