Indiana Chapter of The Wildlife Society

Endowment Wildlife Research Grants

Endowment

The ICTWS endowment fund was established in 1986 to finance wildlife projects that meet one or more of the following objectives:

  1. To develop and promote sound stewardship of wildlife resources and the environments upon which wildlife and humans depend.
  2. To undertake an active role in preventing human-induced environmental degradation.
  3. To increase awareness and appreciation of wildlife values.
  4. To seek the highest standards in all activities in the wildlife profession.

Without a clear mechanism to apply for project funding, there was relatively low annual investment in projects. A subcommittee was formed to generate recommendations for the future selection of projects. The committee proposed formalizing the project selection process via an annual small grant program. At the spring 2025 meeting, ICTWS membership voted to implement an annual wildlife research grant program.

Research Grants

The grants, of up to $1,5000, can be used to support projects that advance wildlife research in Indiana. Funds can be spent on equipment, supplies, salaries, travel to field sites, registration fees and travel expenses for conference attendance, and/or research publishing costs. Priority will be given to members of ICTWS, but all projects occurring in Indiana will be considered. Students will be prioritized relative to professional researchers and priority will also be given to projects with less available funding.

Additional Rules and Requirements for grant recipients include the following:

  1. Funds should be spent within two years of receiving them.
  2. At the end of the two-year grant period, the recipient should submit a short final report detailing the outcome of the research and how the funds were spent.
  3. During the two-year grant period, the research results should be presented at the annual Indiana Chapter of the Wildlife Society Conference.
  4. Funds cannot be used as match for any federal grant without first discussing their use with the endowment fund subcommittee. To apply, send all application materials to Indianatws@gmail.com by the annual deadline of March 15th. Please include the following in your application material:

Application

To apply, send all application materials to IndianaTWS@gmail.com by the annual deadline of March 15th. Please include the following in your application material:

  1. A short description of your proposed research, where it is being conducted, and how it advances wildlife research in Indiana.
  2. An anticipated timeline for your research activities.
  3. A short description of your experience, qualifications, and achievements that demonstrate your ability to complete the proposed research project. If this research is required for a degree, please indicate the institution, degree, and academic advisor.
  4. Any additional sources of funding for this project.
  5. One letter of recommendation.

Any additional questions about the grant can be sent to the above email address.