Collection Study Grant Program for Students, Postdoctoral Trainees, and Early Career Research Scientists - Collection Study Grants Instructions - Application Process

Sep 19, 2026

Collection Study Grants provide one-time financial assistance for pre-doctoral investigators and early career postdoctoral researchers to travel to New York to study scientific collections at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Eligible divisions include Anthropology, Invertebrate Zoology, Physical Sciences, Paleontology, and Vertebrate Zoology, with visits arranged and sponsored by an AMNH Curator. Projects of four days or longer are encouraged. Awards support partial travel and subsistence (meals excluded), typically $500–$1500, with housing capped at $100/day, to be used between July 1 and June 30.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Collection Study Grants Purpose

Funding and Duration

Other Research Grants

Deadline and Award Cycle (2026-2027)

Application Process Parts

Personal Background

Biographical Information

Academic History

Research Grants Application

Research Grants Documents to Upload

Budget Form

Curator-Sponsor Support

Signature

Review

Research Grants Application Requirements

Document Upload and Project Plan Formatting

Curriculum Vitae and Supplemental Material

Budget Form Requirements

Collection Study Grant Program for Students, Postdoctoral Trainees, and Early Career Research Scientists: COLLECTION STUDY GRANTS PURPOSE Collection Study Grants provide financial assistance to enable pre-doctoral and early career postdoctoral investigators to travel to New York to study the scientific collections at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) . These collections represent the fields in the divisions of Anthropology, Invertebrate Zoology, Physical Sciences (Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science), Paleontology, and Vertebrate Zoology. The visit must be arranged through and sponsored by an American Museum of Natural History Curator. Projects of four days or longer are encouraged. Collection study grants are awarded on a one-time basis and are not available to investigators within daily commuting range of the American Museum of Natural History (i.e.,“Tri-State”area). Applicants submitting research proposals on birds must apply instead to the Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund Program. COLLECTION STUDY GRANTS FUNDING AND DURATION Projects of four days or longer are encouraged. Awards are made in partial support of travel and subsistence while visiting the Museum; the amount of the award ranges from $500 to $1500. Housing support is limited to $100/day. Funds are available and must be used between July 1 of the application year and June 30 the following year. (ex.: For a successful proposal submitted May 1, 2026, funds will made available from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) . Persons in zoology and paleozoology requiring a greater amount of funding than $1500 should instead apply to the Theodore Roosevelt or Lerner-Gray research grants listed below. Other Research Grants: Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund, Lerner-Gray Marine Research Grants, and Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grants • Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund Program • Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grants • Lerner-Gray Grants for Marine Research DEADLINE TO APPLY, 2026-2027 AWARD CYCLE Collection Study Grants: May 1, 2026 11:59pm, Eastern Standard Time IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THIS PAGE AND THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU CONTINUE COLLECTION STUDY GRANTS INSTRUCTIONS There are 9 parts to the application process; all are required and must be completed by 11:59pm Eastern Time on May 1, 2026. 1. Personal Background 2. Biographical Information 3. Academic History 4. Research Grants Application 5. Research Grants Documents to Upload [project description, CV, optional supplemental material] 6. Budget Form 7. Contact information for 1 AMNH Curator-Sponsor Support endorsing your visit 8. Signature 9. Review For assistance with the application process, you may contact [fellowships-rggs@amnh.org](fellowships-rggs@amnh.org). Research Grants Application Application Page 1. Select the science division(s) related to your project. 2. Include a Project Title 3. List the AMNH collections, special facilities, and/or other resources you plan to use (if applicable) 4. For your visit to AMNH, provide names of one or more AMNH curators with whom you will collaborate. 5. Designate that the location of your proposed work is "AMNH Collections". 6. Indicate if you previously received a grant or fellowship from AMNH. Provide the name of the grant/fellowship you were awarded, the project title, and the year. 7. Indicate the duration of the grant requested (the grant may be spent between July 1 of the application year and June 30 of the following year, and must be fully expended during that period) Research Grants Documents to Upload All documents should be submitted in PDF or word processing format. Other options—not preferred unless necessary topreserve information or functionality—include presentations (.ppt, .pptx, and .wdp) and image formats (bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, and .tiff). Project Plan Your Project Plan must include the narrative and citations: • Project description narrative: 2 pages ma

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Collection Study Grants?

The grants provide financial assistance for pre-doctoral and early career postdoctoral investigators to travel to AMNH in New York to study scientific collections. Visits must be arranged through and sponsored by an AMNH Curator.

What funding amounts and housing limits apply to Collection Study Grants?

The award amount ranges from $500 to $1500 and provides partial support for travel and subsistence while visiting the Museum, excluding meals. Housing support is limited to $100 per day.

What are the required parts of the application process?

The application consists of 9 required parts: Personal Background, Biographical Information, Academic History, Research Grants Application, Research Grants Documents to Upload, Budget Form, Contact information for 1 AMNH Curator-Sponsor, Signature, and Review.

Sep 19, 2026

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