MCZ Kronosaurus specimen, ca. 1958

Putnam Expedition Grants

Description

The Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) at Harvard University periodically awards travel grants that support collection of specimens and data relating to the study of comparative zoology, which are known as Putnam Expedition Grants.

Preference is given to requests in two categories:

1. Collecting living specimens in regions where habitats are threatened
2. Collecting fossil specimens in regions most likely to hold important clues for unraveling evolutionary strategies.

Support is provided solely to defray costs of travel and related subsistence expenses incurred in pursuit of these objectives.

All specimens collected during a Putnam Expedition should be deposited in the permanent collections of the MCZ.

Eligibility

Eligibility for Putnam Expedition Grants is restricted to current faculty, post-docs and students in the MCZ. Applicants may apply as individuals or as leaders of expedition teams. Research by Harvard undergraduates is eligible for support, but such work should be conducted under the direct supervision of an MCZ faculty member, who submits the proposal.

Application

There is no standard application form for this grant. Proposals should not exceed five pages in length but should be prepared with one inch margins and a readable font; proposals exceeding five pages will not be considered. They should contain the scientific justification for the proposed travel, a budget, a one-page CV listing recent publications and a statement describing the particular importance of a Putnam Expedition Grant for completing the proposed work.

Graduate student applicants

Indicate whether you have completed your doctoral qualifying exam and if you already have applied, or plan to apply, for extramural support for research-related travel. Also indicate if you expect to apply for additional Putnam support beyond the current proposal (and, if so, the approximate amount). Please ask your dissertation advisor to prepare a letter that evaluates 1) the merits of your travel request vis-à-vis your dissertation research, and 2) the likelihood of additional Putnam grant applications in support of this research beyond the current proposal. This letter should be submitted separately from the main application by the deadline below. Higher priority for funding may be given to applicants who have not previously received a Putnam grant.

Postdoctoral applicants
Please ask your advisor to prepare a letter that evaluates 1) the merits of your travel request vis-à-vis your research, and 2) the likelihood of additional Putnam grant applications in support of this research beyond the current proposal. This letter should be submitted separately from the main application by the deadline below. Higher priority for funding may be given to applicants who have not previously received a Putnam grant and who have passed their qualifying exam.

Applications submitted via email should be addressed to: grants@oeb.harvard.edu

or mail* application to:

Catherine Weisel
OEB Administration
Museum of Comparative Zoology
Harvard University
26 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

*Applications submitted via mail should include five hardcopies of the full application. Mailed applications, including letters of support, even if mailed separately, must be received by the application deadline.

Deadlines

Proposals are reviewed twice a year. Application Deadlines are October 1st (Fall Semester) and April 1st (spring semester). Each grantee must provide a final report that summarizes scientific accomplishments derived from the award within six months of travel completion. Reports for prior awards must be received before new applications from the same individual will be considered.

Questions

Please direct all inquiries to Catherine Weisel via email or 617.495.2460.