Whittell Forest Graduate Research Grant

Deadline for submission: Wednesday, June 5, 2024 by 5 p.m.

In support of research on the University’s Whittell Forest & Wildlife Area, Research & Innovation is pleased to offer two graduate research grants for the 2024-2025 year. A total of $15,000 (two $7,500 awards or three $5,000 awards) is available 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 either the University of Nevada, Reno or the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
  • Applicants must use Whittell Forest & Wildlife Area 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
  • Funds may be applied to the 2024 or 2025 field seasons to support field-based activities in Whittell
  • Professional development trainings are not an approved cost and the panel may approve/reject purchases that do not directly support project or thesis/dissertation advancement

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 $7,500 or a $5,000 grant
    • 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 $7,500 or $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 Advisory Committee.
  4. Awards are available for the 2024-2025 academic year, with extension of spending through summer 2025, as needed, to support field-based activities at Whittell.
  5. Funding support requires periodic reporting to Research & Innovation, including a brief presentation to the Advisory Committee during the 2024-2024 academic year as well as a final report of progress, spending, and preliminary results by the end of the summer 2025 field season (September 1, 2025).

Projects funded through the research grant