American Ornithological Society (AOS) - Research Grants

Official program page for the American Ornithological Society (AOS) Kessel Fellowships, providing research funding for early-career ornithologists.

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Deadline15 May 2026; 2026-03-13: Announcement of awards; 2025-12-15: Self-nomination deadline; 1 May: Notification of application outcome; 2026-02-04: Optional grant preparation workshop; 2026-02-04: Optional virtual preparation workshop

Award amountHonorarium; Certificate; up to $4,000; Up to $5,000 USD; $1,500 honorarium; Framed certificate; $5,000 to ~$35,000; $500–$1,000 honorarium

Last checkedJun 24, 2026

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Kessel Fellowships for Ornithological Research

Official program page for the American Ornithological Society (AOS) Kessel Fellowships, providing research funding for early-career ornithologists.

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Deadline

2026-01-31T23:59:00

Award amount

$15,000 (standard ornithological research)

Eligibility

Early-career researchers (Ph.D. within 10 years of submission date); Postdoctoral researchers, early career faculty, and Ph.D. students (completing degree by May 2026); Must be an AOS member if citizen of specific listed countries; Non-citizens of listed countries must be active members of an ornithological society in their region; Must be a single Principal Investigator (PI); Must not have previously received a Kessel Fellowship

Requirements

High standard of ethical and social behavior aligned with AOS Code of Conduct & Ethics; Research must be in ornithology (avian biology, ecology, behavior, conservation, genetics, etc.); Poultry and agricultural research is excluded; Must submit via AOS Member Portal; Proposal must be a single PDF using Times New Roman 12-point font with one-inch margins

Application materials

Research Plan (max 3 pages); Literature Cited (max 1 page); PI Biographical Sketch (max 1 page); Budget & Budget Justification (max 2 pages total, using Excel template)

How to apply

Register or log in to the AOS Member Portal; Complete the online submission form; Upload the research proposal as a single PDF file; Submit by the deadline of 31 January 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Important dates

2026-01-01: Application opens; 2026-01-31: Application deadline

Documents

Two-year budget spreadsheet template (Excel)

Contact

Kessel Fellowship Help Desk (via support ticket)

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