Herpetofaunal conservation needs funding and there are many programs that support reptile and amphibian conservation and research. Check out the grant programs listed on this site for more information.
If you would like to list a grant for your organization, please send the announcement to herpjob@parcplace.org.
Foundation of the Conservation of Salamanders (FCSal)
The Foundation for the Conservation of Salamander (FCSal) is currently accepting grant applications for the Daniel M. Digiacomo Grant. It funds research, education, or conservation efforts focusing on salamanders for up to $5,000. Check out the website for more information. The materials are due by Jan 15, 2023. https://www.fcsal.org/call-for-proposals
Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund
The Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund (OCRF) provides grants to support conservation, management, research, habitat improvement, enforcement, and outdoor recreation in Oregon. Funding priorities in 2022 include herpetofaunal research for Oregon’s rare and sensitives species including Columbia Spotted Frog, Rocky Mountain Tailed Frog, Coastal Tailed Frog, Northwestern Pond Turtle, Oregon Spotted Frog, Foothill Yellow-legged Frog, California Mountain Kingsnake, Northern Red-legged Frog, and other reptile, amphibian, and data gap species identified in the Oregon Conservation Strategy.
Check out the OCRF notice of funding here. Additional information can be found on the ODFW website: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/conservationstrategy/OCRF/grants.asp.
NCHS 2021 Small Conservation Grants
The Northern California Herpetological Society will be providing grants to individuals or groups seeking to obtain funding for local reptile or amphibian focused conservation projects. These grants can be the sole funding for a project or used to fund one or more aspects of a larger project. 2021 grant applications closed. Check back next year for more information. Please see details here.
Barton Springs Salamander Conservation Fund
The City of Austin is requesting applications to the Barton Springs Salamander Conservation Fund. We are looking to fund conservation and research projects on Barton Springs and/or Austin Blind salamanders, as well as their habitat and ecosystems (Barton Springs and the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer). Proposed projects may also include education and habitat restoration, as the scope is fairly broad. Proposals should be submitted to BSSCF@austintexas.gov by January 30th (the annual deadline). Here is a link to our guidelines.
Funding for Prairie Research Offered by Prairie Biotic Research, Inc.
Prairie Biotic Research (PBR) is an all-volunteer, Wisconsin nonprofit established in 2000 to foster basic biotic research in prairies and savannas. One way we do this is through a competitive Small Grants Program that funds grants up to $1500 to individuals for the study of any grassland taxon anywhere in the USA. They support both natural history and experimental science. They are especially eager to support independent researchers (those lacking institutional support), but anyone having a U.S. Social Security number may apply
To apply for a grant: Visit PBR’s website PrairieBioticResearch.org to learn more, to find their proposal form, instructions, and a sample researcher agreement form that winners of this competition must sign. You can also visit the grant page directly here.
Gopher Tortoise Council Grants
The Gopher Tortoise Council is a non-profit organization established in 1978 to further gopher tortoise and upland conservation goals throughout the gopher tortoise’s range in the southeastern United States. The council offers two grants to support herpetological research.
J. Larry Landers Student Research Award
The J. Larry Landers Student Research Award is a Gopher Tortoise Council competitive grant program for undergraduate and graduate college students. Proposals can address research concerning gopher tortoise biology or any other relevant aspect of upland habitat conservation and management. The amount of the award is variable but has averaged $1,000.00 over the last few years.
Donna J. Heinrich Environmental Education Grant
The GTC environmental education grant was established to support educators and organizations committed to developing educational projects about the gopher tortoise and the fascinating world in which it lives. The grant also honors Donna June Heinrich, an environmental educator whose life was dedicated to conserving wildlife and their associated habitats.
For more information, or to download an application, please visit https://gophertortoisecouncil.org/grant-programs.
USDA Fish and Wildlife Habitat Improvement Grants (WHIP)
The Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) is a voluntary program for conservation-minded landowners who want to develop and improve wildlife habitat on agricultural land, nonindustrial private forest land, and Tribal land.
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 reauthorized WHIP as a voluntary approach to improving wildlife habitat in our Nation. The Natural Resources Conservation Service administers WHIP to provide both technical assistance and financial assistance to establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat. WHIP cost-share agreements between NRCS and the participant generally last from one year after the last conservation practice is implemented but not more than 10 years from the date the agreement is signed.
More information about the grant can be found at www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/
US Fish and Wildlife Service Stewardship Grants
The US FWS Private Stewardship Grants Program is a mechanism for private landowners to obtain funding for activities that benefit imperiled species. For landowners who may have an interest in conservation actions for imperiled species, but financially are unable to do so. Things like prescribed burning, stream habitat improvements, to name a few, come to mind.
More information about the grant can be found at www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/
Chicago Herpetological Society Grants
The mission of the Chicago Herpetological Society is education, conservation, and the advancement of herpetology. To further the mission, the CHS provides grants of up to $1000.00 in the following categories:
- Illinois Herpetology
- Graduate Student Research in Herpetology
- Undergraduate Research in Herpetology
- Conservation
- Captive Management, Husbandry, and Propagation
Visit the Chicago Herpetological Society website for additional information.
Tucson Herpetological Society Charles H. Lowe, Jr., Herpetology Research Fund.
The Charles H. Lowe Herpetology Research Fund was established by the Tucson Herpetological Society (THS)to support research that contributes to the conservation of the herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert, including the states of Arizona, southern California, Sonora, and on the Baja California peninsula and gulf islands. Dr. Cecil R. Schwalbe spearheaded the fund in honor of the many contributions to our understanding of herpetology in the Sonoran Desert by Dr. Charles H. Lowe. The fund was inaugurated at the Current Research on the Herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert II Conference, April 2002.
Eligibility: Any current THS member is eligible to receive awards from the C.H. Lowe Research Fund. Researchers need not be affiliated with an institution and need not have previous experience. Pre K-12 educational institutions and students are encouraged to apply. THS Board Members and Lowe Fund Committee Members are not eligible. Individuals are allowed to apply for funding in consecutive years assuming that all deliverables have been received from the previous award, or that significant progress has been made on a past award as approved by the committee chair.
Funding: Proposals are reviewed annually in April. Decisions to award will be made on the value of the research being proposed and not on the experience or status of the person making the request. No requests will be approved that involve collecting animals for personal collections or profit. Requests are not to exceed $500. Although the fund is primarily for the purchase of equipment, requests can include personnel and travel costs. All awards are subject to THS board approval. Awards may not necessarily be granted every period and are subject to availability of funds. Funding may be awarded out of cycle under special circumstances.
More information about the grant can be found at www.instrumentl.com/grants/the-charles-h-lowe-herpetology-research-fund
Cryptobranchid Interest Group Grants
Ron Goellner Conservation Fund
In honor and memory of Ron Goellner, noted zoologist, CIG offers a yearly grant to help support research and educational initiatives that contribute to the conservation of Cryptobranchids.
Grant Amount: up to $1,000
Eligibility: Anyone may apply for this award. If funding is provided, the awardee(s) is required to recognize the CIG Ron Goellner Conservation Fund in all publications and presentations. Copies of reports and publications are to be provided to CIG and reports of progress are to be submitted on an annual basis. CIG also requests that 3-5 images be provided to CIG to post on its website or in CIG publications to promote its support of this project.
Evaluation Criteria: Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the potential of the project to contribute to the biological knowledge and conservation of Cryptobranchids. Important considerations are the significance and originality of the project, design of sampling and analysis, preliminary data supporting the feasibility of the project, the likelihood of successful completion and publication, and the overall application towards giant salamander conservation.
Click here for more information and application procedures
Jennifer Elwood Grant
In honor and memory of Dr. Jennifer R. Lorenz-Elwood, noted salamander biologist, with the aid of several donors, CIG has established a monetary grant to help support research and educational initiatives that contribute to the conservation of hellbenders.
Grant Amount: up to $1,000
Eligibility: Anyone may apply for this award. If funding is provided, the awardee(s) is required to recognize the CIG Jennifer Elwood Hellbender Conservation Grant in all publications and presentations. Copies of reports and publications are to be provided to CIG and reports of progress are to be submitted on an annual basis. CIG also requests that 3-5 images be provided to CIG to post on its website or in CIG publications to promote its support of this project.
Evaluation Criteria: Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the potential of the project to contribute to the biological knowledge and conservation of hellbenders. Important considerations are the significance and originality of the project, design of sampling and analysis, preliminary data supporting the feasibility of the project, the likelihood of successful completion and publication, and the overall application towards hellbender conservation.
Click here for more information and application procedures
The Herpetologists’ League EE Williams Research Grant
The Herpetologists’ League is pleased to announce competitive grants for graduate student research. These awards are named in honor of the late Ernest E. Williams, the first Distinguished Herpetologist of The Herpetologists’ League and fund up to $500 of research expenditures.
Click here for more information and application procedures
Rapid Response Facility (RRF) Small Grants Programme
The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) is a small grants programme that provides emergency funding of up to US $30,000 to address severe and time sensitive threats to endangered biodiversity, primarily within UNESCO natural World Heritage sites. To fulfil this emergency response role, the RRF operates quickly, flexibly and in real time.
The inability to respond to emergencies or catastrophic events as soon as they arise can lead to devastating results for biodiversity and ecosystems. By enabling relevant stakeholders to address such emergencies within just days or weeks, the RRF invests in the long-term survival of unique natural sites and their biodiversity.
Click here for more information and application procedures