The Explorers Club Washington Group’s Exploration and Field Research Grants Program was established in 1997 to encourage young men and women to add to the body of knowledge of the earth, its people and the universe through exploration and field research. Examples of disciplines appropriate for support are anthropology, archaeology, ecology, entomology, botany, linguistics, ornithology, geography, ichthyology, geology, oceanography, glaciology, and similar disciplines.

Grants are available to graduate students who are enrolled in a college or university in the local area (Washington, DC; Virginia; West Virginia; Maryland) and who are under the supervision of a qualified scientist or educator. The activity may occur anywhere in the world. It should be emphasized that that those expeditions supported will be for scientific purposes, in accordance with the Explorers Club’s stated objective, “to broaden our knowledge of the universe”.

The grants are intended to provide supplemental funds to support fieldwork or closely related endeavors, and generally range from one to several thousand dollars. While the awards are small, former grantees have successfully used their awards to collect preliminary data leading to other awards or to augment support for items not covered elsewhere. Allowable items include travel to specialized facilities or field research locations, purchase of supplies, rental of field or research facilities, and similar items. Funds may not be used for stipends, tuition, textbooks, journals, language training, allowances for dependents, travel to scientific meetings, publication costs, reproduction, or indirect costs.

Grantees must submit a report of the activity and a statement of expenses within ninety days after the expiration of the grant. Publications based on work supported entirely or in part by the ECWG should credit the Explorers Club Washington Group’s Exploration and Field Research Grants Program. Copies of the publications resulting from the project should be forwarded to the Explorers Club Washington Group. A letter of agreement to these terms between the ECWG and the recipient must be signed prior to the award.
Applications must be received using Explorers Club Washington Group’s standard forms (which may be photocopied or duplicated) and must be received by February 1, 2010.  Incomplete applications, applications not using the standard forms, or applications received after this date will not be considered. Awards will be announced by March 15, 2010. 

Who May Submit:

Any graduate student enrolled in a college or university in the local area—Washington, DC; Virginia; West Virginia; or Maryland.

What to Submit:

1. Three copies of the application package, which includes:

• Application Form
• Curriculum Vitae Form
• Abstract of the Project
• Project Description
• Budget

2. Two References in sealed envelopes, to be submitted with the application material

Where to Submit :

Ms. Marguerite B. Hunsiker
Explorers Club Washington Group
Exploration and Field Research Grants Program
5705 Nevada Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20015-2545

Merit Review Process

A committee of two or more ECWG members will be formed annually to review each year’s applications of the Grants Program. The proposals will first be screened for responsiveness to the Programs Announcement. Applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements, who request support in categories excluded from consideration, or who submit incomplete proposals will be disqualified. A proposal from a disqualified applicant will be returned, unreviewed.

The eligible proposals will be reviewed, using the following merit criteria:

1. What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
2. How well qualified is the applicant (and research team, if part of an organized activity) to conduct the project?
3. How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity?
4. How well does the proposed activity support the goals of the Explorers Club and the ECWG?
5. Are there sufficient other resources to ensure success of the project?

Proposals will be initially ranked as Highly Competitive, Competitive and Non-Competitive. Those in the Non-Competitive category will be excluded from further consideration. Discussion will then focus on the Highly Competitive and Competitive categories. It is anticipated that there will be more qualified applicants that can be supported in any one year. Therefore, in addition to the merit criteria review, the selection process will include a consideration of program balance, in terms of discipline, institution represented, geographic area of focus and diversity of applicants.

Submission Deadline : February 1, 2010

Expected Grants Announcement Date: March 15, 2010