The Waterbird Society Research Award Grant

The Waterbird Society Research Award, established in 2018, aims to promote research and conservation of waterbirds globally. It encourages projects focusing on species lacking data, monitoring population trends, and contributing significantly to conservation efforts. Open to students, professionals, and amateurs, applicants are evaluated based on scientific merit and the potential impact of their work. Awards can reach up to $5,000, fostering advancements in the biology and ecology of aquatic birds.

This grant, established in 2018, is funded through an endowment set up by the Waterbird Society. The Society’s primary goals are to:
promote basic and applied research on waterbirds and their habitats, foster science-based waterbird conservation, and enhance communication and education at all levels among professionals, policy makers and citizens.
About the Waterbird Society Research Award
The goal of the Waterbird Society Research Award is to encourage significant advances in the biology, ecology, status assessment or conservation biology of waterbirds. The Grants Committee currently solicits proposals for this award that focus on:
Basic research on species not covered by other Waterbird Society grants,Monitoring projects that contribute to the knowledge of waterbird population status, distribution, abundance or trends, especially for species that are data deficient or where there are significant information gaps in the core areas of a species’ range, orWork that makes a substantial contribution to waterbird conservation.
Financial and education status of applicants are not considerations. Selection is made by a committee based on:
sound study designs, methods and analytical approaches for addressing objectives, testing hypotheses or deriving robust, unbiased estimates of population distribution (including habitat associations), abundance or trends, and  the likelihood of publishing timely and substantial contributions to the literature and/or making a significant contribution to the conservation of waterbirds.
No distinction will be made between research, monitoring-based or conservation proposals; each type of study will be assessed on its merits. Depending on the scientific merit of the competition, awards will be offered in most years – one or more awards up to a total of $5,000.

Eligibility

These grants are open globally to any student, professional, or amateur.The recipients of awards are expected to publish their reports in peer-reviewed outlets and acknowledge both the Nisbet Award and the Waterbird Society for support.These awards are open to professional, amateur, or student applicants of any age, globally.Proposals will be judged on the basis of scientific merit and the described work’s likelihood to contribute significant new information to the published literature regarding the biology, ecology, or conservation biology of wading birds, herons, egrets, storks, ibises, and spoonbills (Kushlan Award); terns or gulls (Nisbet Grant); or any waterbird species (Waterbird Society Award).Verification of appropriate permits from relevant government agencies to carry out the work must be provided in advance of any award.

Ineligibility

Applicants for the Waterbird Society Research Award are not eligible to submit the same proposal for consideration for either the Kushlan or Nisbet awards. The Grants Committee reserves the right to move a proposal to different category if warranted.