Laramie, WY

Position Title: Biodiversity Graduate Student Research Enhancement Grants

Organization: UW Biodiversity Institute

Location: Laramie, WY

Position Overview: The Biodiversity Institute (BI) seeks proposals that enhance biodiversity research efforts of UW graduate students, because graduate students are a major engine of biodiversity research and future leaders of conservation.

Qualifications/Eligibility:

• Grants are available to any masters or doctoral student in good standing at the University of Wyoming at the time the award is made.
• Graduate students must continue to be enrolled, with good standing, at the University of Wyoming throughout the duration of their proposal.
• Research must have ongoing support in the form of existing resources to the student or advisor, access to appropriate equipment, and already approved field or other permits.

Start/end dates: Funding is available from June 1 to December 31

Grant Opportunities:

• Biodiversity Institute Graduate Student Excellence Grant. $5000 maximum, several will be given. The BI Excellence Fund supports UW graduate students whose research meets all the criteria mentioned above, without geographic restrictions.
• Bighorn Sheep Research Fellowship. $15,000 maximum, only one will be given. This fellowship, provided by the Bighorn Restoration Group, supports research into the causes of bighorn sheep population decline that test at least two mechanisms, competing or synergist, in the Sinks Canyon area. The project also requires a community science component. The BI will provide community science coordination support. Applicants must demonstrate that their research is focused on this topic. Funding for this grant may extend to August 31, 2024.
• Don and Judy Legerski UW Teton Graduate Scholars in Biodiversity Fellowship. $2000 maximum; two will be awarded. Applicants for this award must conduct research addressing biodiversity conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and be associated with the mission of the UW NPS Research Station (UWNPS.org/about us) through promoting understanding of Wyoming’s wonders and their connection to the world.
• The Hardy Family Forest Disturbance Community Science Excellence Fund. $4500 maximum; one or two will be awarded. Applicants for this award must be researching any aspect of forest recovery from disturbance with areas in SE Wyoming preferred. The project also requires a community science component. The BI will provide community science coordination support.

Application Deadline: May 12

How to Apply: Interested students should meet with BI staff to discuss science communication and community science requirements for their proposals. Proposals that do not meet the science communication requirements will not be considered for funding. Email biodiversity@uwyo.edu to set up an appointment. The proposal must follow the format provided below:

• Submit as a single pdf file to biodiversity@uwyo.edu.
• Proposals are limited to four pages of text including the budget justification and figures, but excluding references, and must use the format described below.
• A letter of recommendation from the student’s graduate advisor indicating that a) the student is in good standing, and b) the faculty member is willing and able to provide guidance as well as any resources required to fulfill the project. Proposals will not be evaluated on the total value of the available resources but rather how the requested support from the proposal enhances the graduate student research. The letter must come directly from the advisor and should be submitted to biodiversity@uwyo.edu. This letter does not count toward the proposal page limit.

See full proposal format, proposal review process, and other grant details on the Biodiversity Institute’s research grant announcement.