Grants

Finch Research Network Small Grant Program

The Finch Research Network (FiRN) seeks to fund projects that will contribute to the study or conservation of finches and their habitats.

Eligibility

Applicants at any career stage are eligible to apply, including undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and independent researchers.

Award amount

Awards are typically funded up to $600, but may be awarded up to $1800 under exceptional circumstances. If you apply for more than $600 you must provide strong justification in your budget description and include whether or how the project could be completed if you were only awarded the standard $600 award.

Application process

Applications must be submitted by March 20th. Awards will typically be announced within 1-2 months of the deadline. Applications at other times of year may be considered under exceptional circumstances with prior approval.

Applications must include:

Project title
Applicant name and contact information. You may include collaborator information as well, but please indicate who will accept the funds and what role other people will play in the project.
Project summary (100-200 words)
Project description (1-2 pages) describing (a) the aim(s) of the project, (b) the significance of the project, including in relation to the study and conservation of finches, (c) how the aim(s) will be achieved. See the application assessment information below to guide your preparation of materials.
Budget with justification. How do you plan to use the money you are requesting? Are additional funds required to complete your project and how do you plan to meet those costs if so? If the money will be directed to an institution rather than an individual please note that indirect costs are not allowed.
A 1-page resume or CV that describes any prior experience that might support the project. Applicants may also include in their resume a description of barriers or challenges they have faced in gaining experience or advancing their interests in finch biology and conservation, but this is not required.
If applicant has previously received a FiRN grant, a copy of the final report from the previous grant must be included.

Application Assessment

Applications will be assessed based on project feasibility and the potential impact of the project with respect to generating novel information about finches or impacting finch conservation (projects that address both are welcome, but not required). Guidelines for how we will assess applications are provided below:

Feasibility

Has the applicant clearly described the project goals, including potential deliverables? Examples include reports, manuscripts, presentations, educational outreach events, management guidelines, etc.
Has the applicant sufficiently described the methods or approach for the project? The methods and approach should clearly explain how the applicant’s activities will lead to the described deliverables. Some factors that will be considered include prior experience with the study species (or related species), field logistics and financial support, likelihood of attaining specified sample sizes, and difficulty of methods. Note that challenging projects are acceptable but the applicant must be aware of the obstacles they face and justify how they plan to meet them.

Potential Impact (Can be demonstrated based on either generating novel information OR impacting conservation)
Generating Novel Information	Impacting Conservation
Does the applicant provide background information for what is currently understood or described about their project topic? Will new information be gained by completion of the project? Is the information unique in either the species or content that will be studied?	Does the project have the potential to improve management strategies of finch habitat and/or finch populations? Does the applicant demonstrate a plan to provide educational opportunities surrounding finches and/or to broadly disseminate the results of their research?

Awardee reporting requirements

All awardees must submit a final written report at project completion (3 pages maximum). If the project is not completed within 1 year of the award (i.e., it is continuing), a 1-year report update (1 page maximum) must be provided. Reports should include description the efforts made to complete the project as described, challenges or barriers to project completion, whether or not deliverables were completed, and major findings or outcomes as appropriate. Copies of any written or recorded deliverables should be included. Reports must be received before additional grants may be applied for.