Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation's graduate research

Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation

Award: $1,600–$1,800

Deadline: Oct 1, 2026

To support exceptionally qualified students pursuing graduate degrees in varied research areas of wildlife conservation and management with emphasis on research that will inform decision-making and on-the-ground implementation. Qualifications: Applicants must be required GPA of 3.0/4.0; fellowships are directed to graduate study for M.S. and Ph.D. levels only; the Welder Foundation requires that each fellowship award be administered by an accredited U.S. based institution and that the proposed research has relevance to conservation in the U.S; U.S. citizenship is not required. Selection criteria: Applications are reviewed and ranked by a committee and will be judged based primarily on the criteria listed below; academic qualifications of the student; career objectives statement; scientific merit; originality / creativity; contributions to basic biology; importance to wildlife conservation and management; achievability. How to apply: Applicants must submit online application form: should include the following seven components for a completed application packet; electronic submissions (pdf format) are preferred; research proposal, not more than 6 pages in length (excluding figures, tables, timetable, and literature cited); the format is flexible, but should include: an introduction to the problem (including a statement of research relevance to wildlife conservation and management), objectives and major hypotheses, the basic design of observations or experiments, general methods, a project timetable, literature cited; statement of career objectives (less than one page); curriculum vitae of the student applicant; academic transcripts, including from applicant undergraduate degree (can be photocopies); a letter of endorsement from the applicant’s advisor(s); one additional letter of recommendation, from someone other than applicant current graduate advisor(s) (can be sent separately, but may also be included in the application package). Focus: Animal science and behavior; Biology; Botany; Conservation of natural resources; Ecology; Genetics; Ornithology; Veterinary science and medicine; Wildlife conservation, management, and science.

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