Whittell Forest Graduate Research Fellowship

Deadline for submission: Friday, May 20, 2022 by 5 p.m.

To promote research on the University’s Whittell Forest & Wildlife Area, Research & Innovation is offering three graduate research grant awards for the 2022-2023 year. A total of $15,000 is available (as three $5,000 awards) to support graduate students enrolled in any academic program at University of Nevada, Reno or the University of Nevada, Las Vegas who are able to leverage Whittell to advance their graduate work.

Grants will be awarded on the basis of:

  • Merits of proposed research, including problem importance, originality and study design.
  • The feasibility of successfully completing the proposed work.
  • Preference given to students lacking funding and from underrepresented disciplines.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be graduate students enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program at the University of Nevada, Reno or the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
  • Applicants must use Whittell Forest as a core research site.
  • Students from all departments and disciplines are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Allowable expenses

  • Salaries and stipends
  • Travel to/from the field site
  • Field, lab or computing supplies

Application procedure

  1. A complete application contains the following:
    • Cover letter (not to exceed one page) detailing personal motivations for research as well as rationale for a $5,000 fellowship
    • Project description (not to exceed three pages in length), including the following:
      • Significance of research
      • Study objectives and/or research questions
      • Brief review of relevant literature
      • Study design
      • Timeline
      • Itemized budget based on a $5,000 award
    • Curriculum vitae
    • Letter of recommendation from supervising faculty advisor indicating support of proposed research and addressing the merits for funding this research
    • Copies of appropriate collecting permits, where applicable.
  2. Compile all application materials into a single PDF, and email to sbisbing@unr.edu.
  3. Applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee, including the Whittell Forest Administration and Whittell Forest Advisory Committee.
  4. Awards are available for the 2022-2023 fiscal year (beginning July 1, 2022), with the possibility of additional funding to support ongoing work if progress is made toward study completion and at the discretion of the Whittell Forest Administration and Whittell Advisory Committee.
  5. Funding support requires periodic reporting to Research & Innovation, including a brief presentation to the Whittell Forest Advisory Committee as well as a final report of progress, spending, and preliminary results by the end of the 2022-2023 fiscal year on June 30, 2023.

Projects funded through the research fellowship