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Call for 2017-18 UC Natural Reserve System Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grants

We are pleased to announce a call for proposals for the 2017–18 University of California Natural Reserve System Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grants.

 

The UC Natural Reserve System provides Mathias Grants to support graduate student research at its 39 reserves. Doctoral and master’s students from any UC campus pursuing a graduate degree in any field are eligible. Studies must be conducted on reserves in the UC Natural Reserve System. Since 1988, more than 400 graduate students have received nearly $800,000 from the Mathias Grant program. This year we anticipate awarding $38,000 from a general pool of funds, with individual awards not exceeding $3,000.  

 

In addition, this year the California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP)is providing an additional $15,000 in supplemental funding to support graduate student research at reserves. These monies are provided to broaden graduate student engagement in studying environmental exposure and health outcomes of tobacco use, and contribute to influencing state and local policy on tobacco. Research on reserve sites might include, for example, studies on the environmental impact of tobacco waste; bioaccumulation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines in aquatic bodies or on land; contribution of the tobacco-specific particulate matter to the air quality and related health outcomes. Other innovative topics (e.g., ethnobotanical shifts in native vs. commercial tobacco use) that address similar tobacco-related human and environmental health issues are highly encouraged. These individual awards will also not exceed $3,000.

 

Applications for this year’s Mathias Grant program are due by September 11, 2017. Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the application process as early as possible because all materials (with the exception of letters of recommendation) must be gathered and submitted as part of the grant application. Applicants will be notified of their award status by the end of 2017, with funds made available in early 2018.

 

Essential information on the application process, eligibility requirements, and evaluation criteria is available at http://www.ucnrs.org/grants/mathias-grant.html.

Calls for Mathias Student Research Grant will be posted July 2017

Applications for the 2017 Mathias Student Research Grant will be posted this July. Former UC Los Angeles professor and botanist, Mildred E. Mathias, established a research grant program through the UC Natural Reserve System.  Graduate students from all UC campuses (except UCSF) are eligible for funding for research performed on one of the reserves. Click here for more information, including eligibility requirements and deadlines. 

Now accepting applications for the 2017 Point Reyes Fund for Marine Science research grant

The Fund for Marine Science was established in 2012 by an anonymous donation recognizing the conservation legacy of Donald L. Neubacher, former National Park Service superintendent at Point Reyes National Seashore. The purpose of the Fund is to foster basic and applied marine research in and around Point Reyes National Seashore. Click here for more information about this opportunity to fund research within Point Reyes National Seashore.

Application deadline May 1, 2017.

Now accepting applications for the 2017 California Ecology and Conservation Field Course

The UC Natural Reserve System’s California Ecology and Conservation field course brings together 27 students from across the UC system for seven weeks of intensive learning at NRS reserves. Guided by experienced field instructors, undergraduates transform into scientists by conducting independent research studies. Students learn to notice natural patterns, frame questions into feasible research projects, and practice standard techniques such as surveys of animal and plant populations. At the conclusion of each project, students  analyze their data and present their findings to the class in oral presentations, posters, and reports. Students hone their research, public speaking, and scientific writing skills with constant practice and feedback. All the while, students gain a working familiarity with California’s diverse ecosystems while immersed in the NRS’s classrooms without walls.

Applications accepted for Summer, Fall, and Spring sessions. Please see the course webpage for dates and deadlines and more information.