Opportunity for Student Researchers:

This funding can be used to support a wide variety of activities, including time designing and conducting research, research travel, wages to support a related literature review or lab work, and pilot studies that can support development of future research projects. It can be used to fund a stand-alone study or as supplemental funding to expand the scope of an existing project. Topic areas can include any academic discipline, as long as the proposal has a clear connection to coast redwood or giant sequoia forests.

Students are required to work with an academic mentor to develop and carry out their projects. Mentors are expected to be active in the project development by helping identify an appropriate study scope, methods, and design to best ensure project and student success. The mentor’s role is also to facilitate processing of the grant agreement through their academic institutions. Interested students and mentors are strongly encouraged to contact us for a call to discuss their projects prior to the submission due date. We also encourage students and mentors to develop projects with a duration of 1 year or less.

Proposal evaluation will focus primarily on the project’s potential to enhance the applicant’s professional development in redwood research and conservation, with secondary emphasis on the potential for the project to either generate novel results or to support novel research questions in the future. The proposals should be no more than 3 pages, excluding references and the cover page. More specifics on proposal requirements can be found in the proposal template.

Grant Requirements

 
At minimum, deliverables must include:
 

• A final written report (1-2 pages) summarizing the project and any findings.

 

• A final visual element in the form of a short video, blog with photos or some other medium that includes visual content suitable for sharing on the League website or social media. The applicant has wide leverage in defining how the visual report looks, but the goal is to make it accessible and engaging for general, non-scientist audiences.

 

• Project photos with captions. These can be shared throughout the project or at the project end. We may use these on our webpage or in social media posts to share out about your work and the student starter grant program.

 

• A short 30 second video where you share about your experience doing this project and being part of the student starter grant program. We may share these out with other students who are considering applying for this redwood research opportunity.

 

2021 Student Starter Grant recipient José Juan Rodriquez Gutierrez completed an exciting student project on Condors and Coast Redwoods. Check out this trailer for a documentary about this incredible collaborative project!

• Applicants must be an active student at an academic institution during the grant period (this can be any state or private community college or university). 

 

• Students must identify as Black, Indigenous, Latine/Latina/Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, or as a person of color.

 

• Funding requests should not exceed $5,000. 

 

• The League will only fund reimbursement costs that are listed in the Grant Agreement Form; reimbursement costs include allowable costs and non-cancelable obligations incurred as a result of proposal performance. 

 

• Student projects must have a clear connection with coast redwood or giant sequoia forests.

 

• The League will only fund reimbursement costs that are listed in the Grant Agreement Form; reimbursement costs include allowable costs and non-cancelable obligations incurred as a result of proposal performance.

 

• The League does not fund indirect costs (these costs include but are not limited to overhead costs, administration fees, rent, insurance, etc.). 

 

• Past grant recipients must have submitted both a final written and visual report for all previous League grants to be eligible for funding in the current grant cycle. 

 

• If your proposal is selected, it is a requirement to use the League’s Grant Agreement Form. Edits to the League Grant Agreement Form are not allowed; any questions regarding edits should be submitted in writing to the League before submitting a proposal. Please make sure to review the form with your grant admin department before applying. 

 

• All grant agreements must be processed and finalized by July of the following year. If grant agreements are not finalized by July, grant agreements and awards will be terminated. 

 

• Students must identify a mentor who can help guide the student through their research project, and facilitate processing of the grant agreement and awarded funds at their institution. Mentors must review and sign all proposals before submission.