Putnam Expedition Grants
About
Putnam Expedition Grants support collection of specimens and related data for the study of comparative zoology.
Preference is given to requests in two categories:
- collecting living specimens in regions where habitats are threatened
- collecting fossil specimens in regions most likely to hold important clues for unraveling evolutionary strategies
Deadlines: October 1 and March 12
Eligibility for Putnam Expedition grants is restricted to current faculty, postdocs (including term-limited research associates) and graduate students in the MCZ.
Awards to graduate students will be treated as fellowships.
Applicants may apply as individuals or as leaders of expedition teams. Higher priority for funding may be given to applicants who have not previously received a Putnam Grant and, for postdocs, whose projects relate directly to the research expertise and interests of their faculty sponsor.
Applications must be submitted electronically through CARAT (Centralized Application for Research and Travel).
- project description explicitly stating the objective, expected activities and results, anticipated travel itinerary, and should address how permits and legal compliance issues will be met (not to exceed three pages), for a single expedition
- budget
- curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages) and a letter of support (graduate student and postdoctoral applicants)
Expenses
Support is provided solely to defray costs of travel and related subsistence expenses.
Awards to graduate students will be treated as fellowships.
Specimen acquisition
Unless the laws of the country of origin require otherwise, all specimens collected during a Putnam Expedition shall be accessioned in MCZbase upon return to Cambridge and deposited in the permanent collections of the MCZ.
Upon project completion
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.