Research, Education & Conservation Grant

Research, Education & Conservation Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Denver Field Ornithologists
Amount: Up to US $2,000
Last Updated: December 22, 2025

Summary

The DFO Research, Education, and Conservation Grant supports projects focused on birds and their habitats, prioritizing initiatives in the Denver area and Colorado's Front Range. Established in 1994, the fund encourages research, education, and conservation efforts with grants typically under $2,000. Recent funded projects include studies on owl habitats and educational programs for young birders. The fund aims to advance knowledge and appreciation of avian species through targeted financial support.

Overview

RESEARCH, EDUCATION & CONSERVATION GRANTS The DFO Research, Education, and Conservation Fund provides grants for projects in three areas of study: education in the knowledge of birds, research in ornithology, and conservation of birds and their habitat. In awarding grants, preference is given first to projects in the Denver metropolitan area, then Colorado's Front Range, and finally, elsewhere in the U.S. DFO has awarded fund grants since 1994, when Mary Hope Robinson donated $15,000 to to establish DFO's Educational Endowment Fund. In 2012, the name was changed to the DFO Research, Education, and Conservation Fund. Thanks to the generosity of donors including club members, DFO is able to support more grants each year with modest research funding. Grand Fund Mission Statement This fund provides grants for projects that encourage the study, appreciation, and preservation both of birds and their habitats. Grants are accepted to perform research, conduct educational initiatives, and encourage conservation of critical habitats. Priority in funding is first the metropolitan area of Denver, then the Front Range, fthen the rest of Colorado and the U.S. DFO grants generally are under $2,000. After the submission deadline, grant proposals are reviewed in competitive fashion by the grant program committee and the DFO Board of Directors. Examples of recent projects that received grants include a study of Eastern Screech-Owl habitat, Flammulated Owl migration, the life cycle of the Black Swift, and the effect of grazing practices on bird breeding sites. Educational grant recipients have included an effort to promote beginning bird observation among young people via birding-camp scholarships and binocular and 2-way radio purchases for those camps. Recent conservation grants have been given for restoration work at Last Chance on Colorado's eastern plains and at Dodd Reservoir near Boulder.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The DFO Research, Education, and Conservation Fund provides grants for projects in three areas: education supporting knowledge of birds, research in ornithology, and conservation of birds and their habitat.Multiyear projects are welcome but are funded only one year at a time.

Ineligibility

Grants may not be used for overhead costs to institutions.