Grants

Chapman Research Grants

These are small short-term awards for research that are available to graduate students for expenses associated with projects primarily focused on the evolutionary biology of birds, particularly those that conduct specimen-based research and participate in expeditionary work. These awards are highly competitive (recent success rates are approximately 20-30 percent) and typically range from $1,000-$3,500. Salaries and stipends are not funded. There is one competition per year.

The submission deadline was November 30, 2024. Awards will be announced by April 3, 2025.

Application for Chapman Small Grant Award 2024-2025 (MS Word format)

Application for Chapman Small Grant Award 2024-2025 (PDF format)

Collection Study Grants

Collection Study Grants are awarded, competitively, to avian systematists (graduate students being a priority) without other funds who wish to perform specimen-based research in the ornithological collections of the American Museum of Natural History. These grants are designed to supplement funding from the investigator’s own institution.

There are two application deadlines, January 15 and July 15. It normally takes a month or more to evaluate and process the applications; so grants should be submitted at least two months prior to when the researcher would like to visit the Collection. These grants are for expenses only, no stipends, and should not exceed $2,000.

Application for Collections Study Grant (Microsoft Word format)

Application for Collections Study Grant (Adobe PDF format)

Looking for the Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund Ornithology Fellowship?

Early career researchers (including doctoral students) proposing to conduct research in any phase of wildlife conservation or related fields of North American fauna—terrestrial and freshwater (rivers, lakes, streams), extant or fossil—are invited to apply to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grants. North America includes everything north of the Isthmus of Panama, including the Caribbean. Grants made from this program generally range between $500 and $3,500.

Application Exceptions: Applicants submitting research proposals on birds must apply to the Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund Program, not to the Theodore Roosevelt Grants. Applicants submitting research proposals on ocean/sea marine life and environments must apply to the Lerner-Gray Grants, not to the Theodore Roosevelt Grants.

Applications are currently closed.

The application period is typically mid-January to mid-February each year. Please email [email protected].

Open to all early career researchers (including all doctoral students) proposing to conduct research in systematics, evolution, ecology, zoology or paleontology of marine life and environments are invited to apply to the Lerner-Gray Grants for Marine Research. Grants made from this program generally range between $500 and $3,500. 

Application Exceptions: Lerner-Gray awards are not made to support research in botany or biochemistry. Applicants proposing to conduct freshwater research in North America must apply to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grants, not the Lerner-Gray Grants.

Applications are currently closed.

The application period is typically mid-February to mid-March each year. Please email [email protected].

Enables pre-doctoral, current/recent postdoctoral investigators and other early career research scientists to study the scientific collections at the American Museum of Natural History in in the divisions of Anthropology, Invertebrate Zoology, Physical Sciences, Paleontology, and Vertebrate Zoology. The awards partially support travel and subsistence for scientists on short term American Museum of Natural History visits.

Please review these instructions before starting your application. 

Deadline to Apply: May 1, 2026, 11:59 pm ET

Apply Now »

Made possible by a generous gift from Curator Emeritus Sydney Anderson (1927-2018) and family members, this award will support travel costs for two Richard Gilder Graduate School Comparative Biology Ph.D. students annually during the duration of the gift, for professional development via doctoral program field work or to attend and present at a national or international conference. The award fosters Dr. Anderson’s wish to provide special assistance to our students for their academic and professional advancement.

Recipients of RGGS Sydney Anderson Travel Award funds must provide a short but compelling report (1-2 pages) on how the funds were spent and what was achieved. They may also be asked to provide a brief note to the donors, describing accomplishments made possible by the award, at the completion of their project. All awardees must acknowledge support from “the Richard Gilder Graduate School Sydney Anderson Travel Award” on their conference presentation(s), publication(s) dissertation, and/or CV, or any other projects or products arising from this Award.

Each award provides up to $2,500, to supplement the student RGGS research budget, and may be used to support the following expenses:

• Transportation (airfare, train, bus, or car mileage)
• Rented Vehicles
• Lodging & Meals
• Registration/Conference Fees

Application Requirements

• Sydney Anderson Travel Award Cover Page
  • Proposal (250 words max)
  • Proposed dates of travel
• Budget Form and Justification
• Curriculum vitae

Applications are currently closed.

Made possible by a generous gift from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation Field Research Awards provide matching support to help advance graduate student and postdoctoral field research. Two awards are offered annually: the Biology Field Research Award and the Earth Science Field Research Award. These awards support travel associated with field-based research and are ONLY available to current RGGS Ph.D. students and RGGS postdoctoral researchers. The program reflects the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation’s mission to support scientists, educators, conservationists, and creators whose diverse perspectives expand our understanding of ourselves and the natural world.

Each award matches awardee contributions of up to $1,250 toward eligible fieldwork expenses (yielding a total of $2,500 toward proposed research), which must be matched by other confirmed sources of support such as RGGS-provided research funds, advisor funds, departmental support, external grants, or other funds. Eligible expenses include transportation to and within the field site, lodging and meals during fieldwork, and research supplies. Note that lab costs, museum collections visits, and conferences will not be funded.

All funded travel must occur between July 1 and June 30 of the award year. Recipients who are in their fourth year at the time of the award must complete travel by August 31 of that year. Following completion of travel, award recipients will be asked to submit a brief summary of fieldwork goals and accomplishments and a personal reflection describing how the experience advanced their research and professional development. All awardees are required to acknowledge support from the “the Richard Gilder Graduate School Maxwell/Hanrahan Grant” in conference presentations, publications, dissertations, CVs, and any other products resulting from work supported by this award.

To apply: Please reach out to RGGS at [email protected] for instructions.

Made possible by a generous gift from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, the Maxwell/Hanrahan Scientific Illustration Internship offers a 10–12 week immersive experience for aspiring scientific illustrators. Interns will work closely with scientific curators and researchers at the American Museum of Natural History, gaining hands-on experience in translating scientific research into accurate, engaging visual content. The internship culminates in the creation of an illustration—or a series of illustrations—designed for public outreach. Applicants should be pursuing a degree in scientific illustration or be recent graduates of such a program.

Applications are currently closed.

Please email [email protected].