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Canadian Museum of Nature Visiting Scientist Awards

Financial Grants for Travel Costs

The Beaty Centre for Species Discovery at the museum awards annual travel grants for research in plant, animal, mineral and fossil systematics.

The main objective of the Canadian Museum of Nature Visiting Scientist Awards is to assist collection-based systematics studies by

• facilitating and supporting access to the collections of the Canadian Museum of Nature
• providing external expertise enhancing the state of curation of the museum's collections.

Enhanced curation could include

• designation of types
• updated taxonomy
• specimen-level data-basing
• specimen sorting and identification, particularly in taxa for which the museum lacks in-house expertise, etc.

How to Apply

Applications must be written in English or French.

Complete the application form (PDF):

• download the application form to your computer
• save it with a file name of your own
• complete the form by typing directly into it
• save it
• email it to us, or print it and mail it to us.

The application form requires information on the following:

• basic applicant information
• a short project description
• budget
• two letters of recommendation (letters may be submitted separately by the application deadline; they must clearly state the name of the applicant)
• curriculum vitae.

The documents submitted may be used by the museum for purposes of promotion of the Canadian Museum of Nature Visiting Scientist Awards.

The museum does not disclose the applicants' personal contact information to the public.

By Email
Robert Anderson
randerson@mus-nature.ca

By Mail
Applications submitted by mail must include five hard copies of the application package.

Canadian Museum of Nature Visiting Scientist Awards
C/O Robert Anderson
Research and Collections
Canadian Museum of Nature
P.O. Box 3443, Station D
Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4 Canada

Your Deadlines

Application deadline: March 31, at 11:59 pm, Eastern daylight time (UTC−04).
Summary report: Within three months of travel completion.

Our Deadline

Award announcements: By April 30.

The Award

The maximum amount of any award is $5000.

Typical expenses that may be paid from these grants include travel, lodging and meals while conducting research at the museum(s).

Grants can be for any time period. Prior to submission, proposals should be coordinated with the curator for the particular collection in order to ensure staff and collection availability.

Each grantee is required to submit a written report summarizing the scientific accomplishments and improvements to the collection that were made during the award residency. This report must be submitted within three months of travel completion.

A seminar or scientific presentation on the applicant's research during the visit is encouraged but not required.

It is expected that the Canadian Museum of Nature Visiting Scientist Award will be appropriately acknowledged in all publications that result from the work.

Eligibility

This grant is open to all university faculty, graduate students, other research scientists and collection managers.

Only one award per individual per year.

Non-Canadian applicants are responsible for obtaining and/or providing any documentation required by the Canada Border Services Agency when visiting Canada for scientific-research purposes. Successful awardees will receive an invitation letter from the museum describing the reason for the visit and the nature of the work being done at the museum.

The employees of the Canadian Museum of Nature (and its affiliated or related entities) and members of their family are not eligible to apply for the Canadian Museum of Nature Visiting Scientist Awards. In this context, "family" means the spouse, partners, parents, children, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.

Questions

Robert Anderson
randerson@mus-nature.ca