Wildflowers

Graduate Awards & Fellowships

Advancing our understanding of the natural world

The Bell Museum promotes graduate student research at the University of Minnesota to examine biological diversity and advance our understanding of the natural world. Natural History awards in the amount of $2,500 per student support projects related to the study of field biology, whole organisms, museum collections, and science education. Graduate Fellowships provide stipend, tuition and fringe benefits for students pursuing advanced degrees in programs related to the study of natural history.

Fellowships are commensurate with the stipend, tuition and benefits of the applicant’s graduate program. Depending on availability of funds, fellowships may provide 12-month, 9-month, single semester, or summer support. Awards and fellowships are highly competitive and current offerings are described below. Applicants are encouraged to carefully consider the following guidelines, consult with academic advisors when preparing proposals, and indicate the awards for which they wish to be considered. Past recipients are encouraged to apply for natural history awards and summer fellowships in subsequent years. Students from underrepresented backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. 

Natural History Awards

Dayton Bell Museum Fund provides graduate student fellowship for research in the field of natural history by funding travel, supplies, equipment & fellowships as directed by the Museum Director.

James W. Wilkie Fund for Natural History supports graduate study fellowships in field biology research in honor of the outstanding accomplishments of James W. Wilkie in wildlife photography and natural history.

Frank McKinney Fellowship in Avian Ethology supports the study of whole organisms with a preference for avian behavior in honor of Professor Frank McKinney.

Joyce Davenport Fellowship in Natural History supports graduate student projects that involve collaboration with Bell Museum curators.

Zoological Society Fund provides support to graduate students pursuing environmental education for projects related to natural history and to students advised by Bell Museum curators. Educators are encouraged to follow these guidelines for curriculum development.

Applications

The annual deadline for natural history award applications is noon March 22. 

Applications are reviewed by a committee consisting of Bell Museum curators and external faculty members. Applications will be evaluated based on merits of the research proposal including clarity and logical flow of objectives and supporting background information, novelty and feasibility of study design, contributions to broader impacts, and rationality of budget justification. Award decisions are announced in April.

Questions about the application process may be directed to Kate Sigurdson at ksigurds@umn.edu.

Applications for natural history awards should include the following components compiled into a single pdf in the following order:

  • Research Proposal including title and description of the project to be performed.
    • Format: Maximum 2-pages, single-spaced, 12 point font, with one inch margins.
    • Proposals should concisely place the research in a broad context and explain why it is significant in terms that can be understood by readers who are not specialists in the field of inquiry. They should clearly explain what observations will be made, what hypotheses will be tested, and outline how data will be analyzed.
    • In addition to proposed research, applicants should include a brief statement about how their work contributes to broader impacts (the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes such as [but not limited to] mentorship, outreach, public engagement, and other activities advancing diversity, equity, access, and/or inclusion).
    • If the proposed project is associated with a Ph.D. dissertation or Master’s thesis, the proposal should indicate how the proposed project relates to the larger body of work as a whole.
    • If the project involves collection of new specimens, plans for obtaining permits and depositing voucher specimens in the museum should be clearly described.
  • Literature cited and a maximum of two tables and two figures (no page limit).
  • Budget justification describing how the funds will be used
    • Format: one page maximum
    • Applicants can request support for research or off-campus training opportunities in support of research, but not for travel to conferences.
    • If the proposed project is part of a larger study, please include an explicit statement (short paragraph) of how specifically the Bell funds will be used. Also describe other available or potential sources of funds if they are needed to complete the proposed activity.
    • If you have received prior support from Bell Awards, please include a brief statement indicating how these funds were used.
  • Curriculum vitae 
    • List activities relevant to your research, publications, presentations, academic accomplishments, degrees awarded, and grants and fellowships received including amounts of funding and titles of funded proposals. Maximum two-pages, single-spaced, 12-point font, one-inch margins.
  • Name and email address of the academic advisor. 
    • Applicants are expected to consult with their advisors during preparation of their proposal; we recommend giving advisors at least two weeks to review drafts. Advisors will be emailed a link to a form to attest to a statement indicating they have read and support the application.

Apply for Bell Awards