The William Simes Research Fund

Overview

About

The UC Natural Reserve System is a network of 41 protected natural areas located throughout California. Established in 1965, the reserves encompass over 47,000 acres of diverse habitats from the ocean to the mountains to the inland deserts. This unique library of ecosystems provides unparalleled opportunities for scientific inquiry and pedagogy. As the largest university-administered reserve system in the world, we are able to offer insight into the ongoing challenges to the stewardship of natural lands experiencing rapid environmental change. These reserves are used by thousands of visitors each year, providing opportunities for research for scientists from across the globe as well as transformative experiences for students and members of the public.

UC Berkeley is responsible for the management of seven of these reserves: Angelo Coast Range Reserve, Blue Oak Ranch Reserve, Chickering American River Reserve, Hans Jenny Pygmy Forest Reserve, Point Reyes Field Station, Hastings Natural History Reservation, and Sagehen Creek Field Station. These reserves include one of UC’s first field stations, an Experimental Forest managed in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, and a reserve encompassing three undisturbed watersheds.

The William Simes Research Fund

The William Simes Research Fund was established to honor the father of Frances Simes Hastings who, with her husband Russell, donated the land that would become Hastings Natural History Reservation to UC Berkeley in 1937. Funding to establish the Simes Award was provided by the grandchildren of Frances and Russell in 2017. Hastings Natural History Reservation is located in the Carmel Valley of Monterey County, California. This 2500 acre site encompasses a range of local habitats, including oak woodlands, chaparral, native grasslands, recovered agricultural fields, and several riparian corridors. Hastings has been a center for field-based research for more than 80 years and is the oldest of the field stations in the University of California’s world class Natural Reserve System. Accordingly, in addition to a wealth of opportunities to study extant organisms, numerous archival data sets regarding the Reservation are available through Hastings and the Berkeley Natural History Museums.

Purpose

The Simes Fund is intended to offset the costs associated with an extended (e.g., several month) period of field research at Hastings. Appropriate uses include costs of housing and research supplies required to conduct fieldwork.

Award

Multiple awards of $1500 will be made each year; the exact number of awards per year will depend upon available funding. The award will be paid directly to the recipient.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* This award is open to graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.) and postdoctoral researchers; applications from exceptional undergraduates will also be considered.
* The primary intent of this award is to fund research in organismal biology at Hastings Reserve, however projects in other science disciplines (e.g., geology, anthropology) and the humanities will also be considered.
* The award is open to members of any accredited institution; applicants do not need to be students at UC Berkeley or other campuses in the UC system.