AOS Latin American/Caribbean Conservation Research Awards  

The Conservation Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) is dedicated to the study and conservation of migratory and resident birds throughout their full annual life cycle, and supporting the research endeavors and career development of student/early-career scientists in areas with a lower availability of research funding. 

Accordingly, the AOS Conservation Committee has initiated a small grants program to support student/early-career scientists from Latin America and the Caribbean conducting conservation-related research on either migratory or resident birds in those regions.  

Grant amount:  Up to $5,000

Eligibility

• Limited to conservation-related research projects taking place in Mexico, Central America, South America, or the Caribbean.
• Focal bird species can be resident or migratory.
• Preference also will be given to projects that are innovative, novel, and propose work on species and habitats with immediate conservation needs. 
• Grants will be provided to graduate students and/or emerging scientists (within 5 years of their most recent graduate degree) from any countries within Latin America or the Caribbean. Applicants may currently be attending a U.S. or Canadian school, but must attest that they are residents of a country within the focal area. At least one of the two awards will be granted to an individual studying or residing permanently within Latin America or the Caribbean. 
• Awardees must be current members of the AOS or be willing to become a member. Awardees may request complimentary membership if financial hardship precludes being able to join. 

Use of Funds

• Grant funds may be used as stipend for the researcher and/or field assistants, equipment, supplies, and travel and living expenses related to field or lab work. 
• Funds may not be used for travel to meetings, publication costs, overhead, or indirect costs.
• Recipients will be asked to provide a brief report of how funds were utilized within one year of disbursement. 

Deadline & Application Procedure

• Applications are currently closed. Announcement of awards will be made within the second quarter of 2023.
• Proposals may be submitted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French. However, all proposals must include an abstract of the project in English. 

Section I

• Name
• Institution
• Email address
• Phone number
• Permanent Country of Residence (and attestation) 
• Professional status (e.g., graduate student, post-doc, early career)
• Highest degree, and date obtained
• Certification that applicant has obtained all of the necessary permits to successfully, ethically, and legally conduct the proposed research (copies of permits are not necessary at the time of application but must be provided before funding can be released to awardees)
• AOS membership status

Section II

• Title of proposal
• Abstract in English (200 words maximum) 

Section III

Research narrative (Can be in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French; Word limit = 1,500 for Introduction through conservation implications, excluding the literature cited, timeline, and budget).

• Introduction: Should include the relevant context, conservation problem(s) that the work will address, and the gaps in knowledge that the work will fulfill.
• Project objectives:  Articulate the specific questions to be investigated, and associated hypotheses and predictions.
• Approach and Methods: Provide just enough information for the selection committee to evaluate the appropriateness of the methods in relation to study objectives.
• Conservation implications: How the results of your research will contribute to avian conservation in the Americas 
• Literature cited: Any format is fine. 
• Project timeline: (Approximate start date and end date of field work, data analysis, manuscript preparation and submission) 
• Budget: (For entire project if appropriate, indicating what specifically this grant would be used for; show in-kind or cash matching funds if available). Please include the following budget categories: Salary, housing, travel, equipment and supplies, other expenses. Clearly indicate what is being requested in each category. All amounts should be in U.S. dollars.

Additional supporting documents:

• Curriculum vitae 
• If you are a student, a letter of support from your academic supervisor, including the full name and academic affiliation of your supervisor. 

Other requirements:

• Grantees must submit an interim report describing project progress and grant expenditures to date within one year of the receipt of funds, and, if appropriate, thereafter at regular intervals based on the approved schedule of activities. 
• Within one year of the completion of data collection for the funded project, grantees must submit a full report, including methods, main results, final breakdown of expenditures, and how study results will contribute to avian conservation.  
• Publications resulting from the research project must acknowledge the support of the AOS Conservation Committee grant. Publications will be listed on the AOS website and made available in accordance with journal copyright restrictions. 

Questions?

For assistance with grant proposal submission or any other questions, please contact either of the AOS Conservation Committee Chairs: Anna Chalfoun achalfou@uwyo.edu or Pete Marra Peter.Marra@Georgetown.edu.

Past Latin America and Caribbean Conservation Research Awardees