Arthur James Boucot Research Grant

Arthur James Boucot Research Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Paleontological Society
Amount: Up to US $5,000
Last Updated: December 19, 2025

Summary

The Arthur James Boucot Research Grant, established by Dr. Arthur James Boucot and Barbara Boucot, supports original research conducted by early career paleontologists, including postdoctoral students and pre-tenure assistant professors. This grant emphasizes projects related to invertebrate paleontology, particularly those focusing on Paleozoic fossils. Applications are encouraged from global researchers, with the stipulation that grant recipients must be members of the Paleontological Society and not subject to U.S. economic sanctions.

Overview

Background The Arthur James Boucot Research Grants were initiated by Dr. Arthur James Boucot and Barbara Boucot. Art Boucot, a former President of the Paleontological Society (1980-1981), was an internationally renowned paleontologist, specializing in Paleozoic fossils, specifically brachiopods and gastropods. He was a recipient the SEPM R. C. Moore Medal and the Paleontological Society Medal, among many other honors and distinctions. Art had a seven-decade career devoted to fieldwork in invertebrate paleontology that covered all continents, including Antarctica, resulting in over 500 peer-reviewed publications and books. Art made major contributions to paleocommunity evolution, paleobiogeography, biostratigraphy, and refinements to the geologic time scale, including resolutions of problems concerning Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian boundaries.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants must be Paleontological Society members unless there are extenuating circumstances.Awards are made directly to individuals and not to institutions.  Boucot Research Grants support original research by current postdoctoral students, assistant professors (pre-tenure), and other early career paleontologists with a PhD, with the possible exception of an occasional individual deemed to be unusually qualified. Paleontologists must be associated with universities, institutes, and academies of science, or equivalent institutions. Applications are encouraged from the United States and elsewhere in the world. The Paleontological Society cannot award grants to applicants from countries with economic or trade sanctions imposed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Applicants must be Paleontological Society members unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Ineligibility

Awards cannot be used for institutional overhead, publication costs, or modeling studies that rely on fossil or modern databases.