Student Research Awards program

The Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research offers awards to support research by KU undergraduate and graduate students. There are two sets of awards: One that is exclusively for students affiliated with our research unit (Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research Awards), the other available to any student at KU conducting research at the University of Kansas Field Station, which we manage (KU Field Station Awards). The following individual awards are offered in 2024. Students should apply using our webform.

Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research Awards

Awards in the following two categories are available only to students affiliated with our research center, the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research (specifically, those who are mentored by one of our faculty, scientists or other affiliated researchers). Note: All students affiliated with our research center are eligible for these awards, whether they do research at the KU Field Station or any other location.

  • The Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research Director’s Award: $1,500 will be awarded to help support the research of one graduate student.
  • The Nason Awards: Several $1,000 awards will be offered to help support the research of undergraduate and graduate students.

KU Field Station Awards

The following three awards of $1,000 each are available to support KU undergraduate and graduate students conducting research at the KU Field Station. Note: Students from any department or research center at KU are eligible to apply.

  • The Mari F. Pesek Award will support one graduate student conducting research at the KU Field Station.
  • The Kenneth B. Armitage Award will support one undergraduate OR graduate student conducting research at the KU Field Station.
  • The W. Dean Kettle Conservation Award will support one undergraduate OR graduate student conducting research at the KU Field Station in the area of natural resource conservation.

Application procedure

The application procedure is identical for all awards. There is no need to apply for any specific award. The selection committee will consider each applicant for all awards for which they are eligible.Application materials should be submitted to the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research using our webform. The required materials include:  

  • Applicant information: Name; email address; phone number; academic department at KU; undergraduate or graduate student; whether or not you are affiliated with the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research; whether or not the research will be conducted at the KU Field Station.
  • Summary of proposed research (three pages maximum) that includes: project title; eligibility statement (KU academic department, graduate or undergraduate status, whether or not research will be at the KU Field Station); objectives; methods; expected products and significance of the proposed work; a brief statement of how award funds will be used. Acceptable uses of funds: Awardees may use their funds to cover costs in only one of the two following categories: 1) travel expenses for one scientific meeting/conference; OR 2) other research-related needs: materials and supplies, equipment, research-related services (e.g., sample processing). Please be explicit in your proposal regarding how you plan to use the awarded funds.
  • A curriculum vitae.
  • A letter of reference/support from your graduate or research advisor.

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions in early April 2024. Funds will be available for use July 1, 2024, and must be spent by May 15, 2025.

Responsibilities of awardees

As a condition of receiving funds, awardees agree to present the results at one of the Friday Ecology Seminars held by the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research during the 2024–2025 academic year.

If the proposed research is to be conducted at the KU Field Station, the awardee agrees to follow all Field Station rules and guidelines linked below. 

General rules for use of the KU Field Station

Rules for research use at the Field Station

 

Application webform

APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR 2024: Monday, March 25, 5 p.m.

  • Questions? Contact Prof. Bryan Foster, KU Field Station director, bfoster@ku.edu

Apply