External Funding Resources

Research Funding Opportunities

  • FUNDING OPPORTUNTIES FOR DIVERSE BEACONITES (updated 10.2.11)
  • US Department of Defense, Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative
  • VAToL, Assembling, Visualizing and Analyzing the Tree of Life: The Assembling, Visualizing and Analyzing the Tree of Life (AVAToL) activity supports novel and transformative approaches to the development of an integrated and robust tree of life, as well as visualization and analysis on a dynamic tree of life. This will take place through the Ideas Lab project development and review process. The goal of this activity is to identify opportunities for investment to significantly advance the state-of-the-art in tree construction, visualization, and analysis across the tree of life. Participants selected through an open application process will engage in an intensive five-day residential workshop to generate project ideas through an innovative, real-time review process. New multidisciplinary teams will form during this workshop to engage in creative problem solving directed at outstanding problems concerning the tree of life. Multidisciplinary integrative approaches calling for communication and interaction among diverse scientists are key to the success of the approach. For example, in addition to those working in systematics and phylogenetics, AVAToL might benefit from mathematicians and computer scientists to contribute algorithms and models, bioinformaticians or genomicists to contribute data pipelines and novel molecular characters, or statisticians and artists with an interest in novel methods of visualization and interactive use of the tree of life. Therefore, members of the systematics research community, bioinformaticians, genomicists, morphologists, paleontologists, computer scientists, statisticians, mathematicians, educators involved in training the next generation of researchers, and representatives of any other disciplines that might contribute important ideas are all strongly encouraged to apply. For more information see: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503629&org=BIO&from=home

Graduate and Postdoctoral Funding

  • The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program has application deadlines in November varying by discipline. This fellowship opportunity is for grad students at or near the beginning of their studies. For details: http://www.nsf.gov/grfp.
  • Ford Foundation fellowships programs: These fellowships are designed to increase the ethnic and racial diversity of the nation’s colleges and universities. Pre-doctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral fellowships are offered. For details, visit <http://national-academies.org/fellowships>.
  • The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Collaborative Research Travel Grants: This award supports Ph.D. candidates, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty researchers traveling to laboratories domestically or internationally to acquire new research techniques, facilitate or begin collaborations, or attend courses. The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is an independent private foundation dedicated to advancing the biomedical sciences by supporting research and other scientific and educational activities. <http://www.bwfund.org>

If you know of other opportunities that should be listed here, please contact Danielle Whittaker (djwhitta at msu dot edu).

Comments are closed.