List of External Grants

The purpose of this page is to direct people towards smaller grants that might fund, for example, summer student research, or provide the means to carry out pilot studies. Organisations that are, at first glance, apparently only concerned with extant taxa and ecosystems can often make awards to palaeontological projects. The Palaeontological Association can provide no guarantee that the information on external sites is correct. The list below does not cover schemes that are designed to provide salaries for researchers, as these are usually well-known. 

Details of The Palaeontological Association's own schemes can be found under the 'Awards & Grants' tab.

If there is a scheme that you think should be included on this page, or there are any problems with links, please contact the Webmaster (webmaster@palass.org).

Small Grants | Bodies with a Range of Schemes | Additional Information

Small Grants

CASP

• Scheme: Annual Research Awards for Applied Geological Fieldwork 
• Eligibility: Typical applicants would be in an EU based institution and be masters, post-graduate or early career researchers
• Maximum funding amount: £3,000 GBP
• Deadline: February 1st
• Further details:
  Website: https://www.casp.org.uk/opportunity/andrew-whitham-casp-fieldwork-awards   
  e-mail: awards@casp.org.uk

Society of Systematic Biologists

• Scheme: Graduate Student Research Awards 
• Eligibility: Applicants may be from any country, but must be members of SSB and conducting research in sytematics
• Maximum funding amount: $2,000 USD
• Deadline: April
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.systbio.org/graduate-student-research-awards.html
  e-mail: ssb.awards.director@gmail.com

Geological Society of London

• Scheme: Research Grants
• Eligibility: Grants are open to all, but applications must be supported by two Fellows of the Society
• Maximum funding amount: £1,000 GBP
• Deadline: February 1st
• Further details:
  Website: https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/grants
  e-mail: stephanie.jones@geolsoc.org.uk

Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences

• Scheme: AAPS Scholarships
• Eligibility: Awarded to graduate level students in palaeontology attending universities worldwide
• Maximum funding amount: $1,000 USD
• Deadline: December 1st
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.aaps.net/scholarship.htm
  e-mail: ammoniteguy@gmail.com

Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences

• Scheme: A. Allen Graffham Paleontology Research Grant
• Eligibility: Awarded to a selected researcher that will publish on specimens collected by, or in collaboration with, AAPS members
• Maximum funding amount: $1,000 USD
• Deadline: December 1st
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.aaps.net/a_allen_graffham-research-grant.htm
  e-mail: ammoniteguy@gmail.com

The Linnean Society of London

• Scheme: Percy Sladen Memorial Fund
• Eligibility: Support for fieldwork outside of usual country of residence in the Earth and life sciences
• Maximum funding amount: up to £1,000 GBP
• Deadlines: January 30th and September 30th
• Further details:
• Website: https://www.linnean.org/the-society/medals-awards-prizes-grants/percy-sladen-memorial-fund-grants
  e-mail: gina@linnean.org

Royal Scottish Geographical Society

• Schemes: RSGS Grants
• Eligibility: See website
• Maximum funding amount: Gants are currently being revised
• Deadline: 
• Further details:
  Website: https://rsgs.org/exciting-learning/rsgs-grants/

Geological Society of America

• Scheme: W. Storrs Cole Memorial Research Award
• Who is eligible?: GSA members or fellow aged between 30 and 65 who have published at least one significant paper on a micropalaeontological topic and wish to conduct further research on invertebrate palaeontology
• Maximum funding amount: $9,100 USD
• Deadline: February 1st
• Further details: This award is administered by GSA, due to the stipulation that applicants MUST be GSA members or fellows.
  Website: http://www.geosociety.org/GSA/grants/postdoc.aspx
  e-mail: awards@geosociety.org

Geological Society of America

• Scheme: Graduate Student Research Grants
• Eligibility: Open to GSA members enrolled at US, Mexican or Canadian institutions in a subject with an Earth sciences component
• Maximum funding amount: $3,500 USD
• Deadline: February 1st
• Further details:
• Website: https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/Education_Careers/Grants_Scholarships/Research_Grants/GSA/grants/gradgrants.aspx
  e-mail: awards@geosociety.org

Paleontological Research Institution (PRI)

• Scheme: J. Thomas Dutro Jr. Student Award In Systematic Paleontology
• Eligibility: Open to graduate students working on any area of systematic palaeontology, who is also a member of PRI
• Maximum funding amount: $500 USD
• Deadline: February 1st
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.museumoftheearth.org/about.php?page=63062
  e-mail: research@museumoftheearth.org

Paleontological Research Institution (PRI)

• Scheme: John W. Wells Grants-in-Aid of Research Program
• Eligibility: Open to graduate students or postdocs to carry out collections-based research at PRI
• Maximum funding amount: $500 USD
• Deadline: February 15th
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.museumoftheearth.org/about.php?page=63062
  e-mail: gpd3@cornell.edu

Paleontological Society

• Scheme: PS Student Research Grants
• Eligibility: Open to undergraduate and graduate palaeontologists who are members of the Paleontological Society
• Maximum funding amount: $750 USD
• Deadline: February 25th
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.paleosoc.org/grantin.html

Palaeontographical Society

• Scheme: Richard Owen Research Fund
• Eligibility: Open to anyone conducting palaeontological research (travel, visits to museums, fieldwork, etc.) within the Society’s remit of describing the fossil fauna and flora of the British Isles
• Maximum funding amount: Two awards of £1,000 GBP per year
• Deadline:  February 28th
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.palaeosoc.org/site//page/grants-and-prizes/research-funding-details
  e-mail: nigel@palaeodate.co.uk

Palaeontographical Society

• Scheme:Edward Forbes Prize
• Eligibility: Awarded for publication excellence to an early career researchers in the field of taxonomic and systematic palaeontology in the British Isles
• Maximum funding amount: £250 GBP per year plus one-year membership
• Deadline: February 28th
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.palaeosoc.org/site//page/grants-and-prizes/research-funding-details
  e-mail: nigel@palaeodate.co.uk

The Jurassic Foundation

• Scheme: Research Grants
• Who is eligible?: Open to all researchers and research students working on dinosaur palaeobiology
• Maximum funding amount: $3,000 USD
• Deadlines: February 15th and September 15th
• Further details:
  Website: http://jurassicfoundation.org/grants/ 
  e-mail: lindsay.zanno@naturalsciences.org

The Linnean Society of London

• Scheme: Appleyard Fund
• Eligibility: Open to Fellows and Associates of the Society who are not in full-time employment as biologists
• Maximum funding amount: £2,000 GBP
• Deadline: September 14th
• Further details:
  Website: https://www.linnean.org/the-society/medals-awards-prizes-grants/the-appleyard-fund
  e-mail:  elizabeth@linnean.org

Paleontological Society

• Scheme: PalSIRP Sepkoski Grants
• Eligibility: Open to palaeontologists living in Eastern Europe and the republics of the former Soviet Union, countries of Central America, South America and island nations of the Caribbean
• Maximum funding amount: $1,000 USD
• Deadline: April 1st
• Further details:
  Website: http://paleosoc.org/grants-and-awards/paleontological-society-international-research-program-palsirp/

The Cushman Foundation

• Scheme: Joseph A. Cushman Award for Student Research
• Who is eligible?: Masters and PhD students working on fossil or living forams
• Maximum funding amount: $2,000 USD
• Deadline: March 1st
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.cushmanfoundation.org/awards/cushmanstudent.php
  e-mail: cushmanfoundation@gmail.com

The Cushman Foundation

• Scheme: William V. Sliter Research Award
• Who is eligible?: Graduate students working on Mesozoic-Cenozoic forams
• Maximum funding amount: $2,000 USD
• Deadline: March 1st
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.cushmanfoundation.org/awards/sliterstudent.php
  e-mail: jettje@si.edu

The Cushman Foundation

• Scheme: Loeblich and Tappan Student Research Award
• Who is eligible?: Undergraduate and graduate students working on all aspects of living protists
• Maximum funding amount: £2,000 USD
• Deadline: March 1st
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.cushmanfoundation.org/awards/loeblichtappanstudent.php
  e-mail: cushmanfoundation@gmail.com

Geological Society of America

• Scheme: The Eugene M. Shoemaker Impact Cratering Award
• Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate students, of any nationality, working in any country, in the disciplines of geology, geophysics, geochemistry, astronomy, or biology
• Maximum funding amount: $2,500 USD
• Deadline: August 25th
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/Shoemaker_Award/
  e-mail: kring@lpi.usra.edu

Royal Geographical Society

• Schemes: Neville Shulman Challenge Award
• Eligibility: Applicants must be UK nationals over 25. Project proposals related to PhD or MSc research are NOT eligible
• Maximum funding amount: £8,000 GBP
• Deadline: November 30th
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Grants/Expedition+and+fieldwork+grants/Neville+Shulman+Challenge+Award.htm
  e-mail: grants@rgs.org

Royal Geographical Society

• Schemes: Land Rover Bursary
• Eligibility: Applicants must hold clean UK driving licences and have three years or more of driving experience. For other details consult PDF available from the website
• Maximum funding amount: £30,000 GBP + use of a Discovery SUV
• Deadline: November 30th
• Further details: 
  Website: http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Grants/Expedition+fieldwork+and+independent+travel+grants/Land+Rover+Bursary.htm
  e-mail: grants@rgs.org

Royal Geographical Society

• Schemes: Journey of a Lifetime
• Eligibility: See website
• Maximum funding amount: £5,000 GBP + a BBC Radio 4 documentary
• Deadline: November 6th
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Grants/Expedition+and+fieldwork+grants/Journey+of+a+Lifetime.htm
  e-mail: grants@rgs.org

Systematics Association and Linnean Society

• Scheme: Systematics Research Fund (SRF)
• Eligibility: A wide range of activities connected to systematics can be funded. Applicant must be a current member of the Linnean Society or the Systematics Associaiton
• Maximum funding amount: £1,500 GBP
• Deadline: February 15th
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.systass.org/awards/srf.shtml
  e-mail: srf@systass.org

Bodies with a range of schemes

Nuffield Foundation

• Scheme: Nuffield Research Placements
• Eligibility: Open to students in their first year of a post-16 Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) courses
• Maximum funding amount: Consult website for details
• Deadlines: November 30th
• Further details:
  Website: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/nuffield-research-placements
  e-mail: Contact local coordinators via website

Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE)

• Scheme: Research Grants/Awards
• Eligibility: The RSE administers a wide range of grants with different criteria. Please consult the webpages of individual schemes
• Maximum funding amount: Varies
• Further details:
  Website: https://www.rse.org.uk/funding-awards/

Royal Society of London

• Scheme: Research Grants/Awards
• Eligibility: The Royal Society administers a wide range of grants with different criteria. Please consult the webpages of individual schemes
• Maximum funding amount: Varies
• Further details:
  Website: https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/

Royal Irish Academy

• Scheme: Grants and Awards
• Eligibility: The Royal Irish Academy administers a wide range of grants with different criteria, many aimed at exchange visits. Please consult the webpages of individual schemes
• Maximum funding amount: Varies
• Further details:
  Website: https://www.ria.ie/grants-and-awards

National Geographic

• Schemes: National Geographic offers a range of grants and funding for field-based research and exploration
• Eligibility: See website
• Maximum funding amount: Varies among schemes
• Deadlines: See individual scheme details
• Further details:
  Website: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/grants 

Royal Scottish Geographical Society

• Schemes: Research Grants
• Eligibility: See website
• Maximum funding amount: Grants are currently being revised
• Deadlines: Contact RSGS
• Further details:
  Website: https://rsgs.org/exciting-learning/rsgs-grants/

Additional Information

• Guide to Funding Your Graduate Studies: https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/student-finance/guide-funding-your-graduate-studies
• PaleoFund: http://www.paleofund.org/student.html