Small Grants Program

Program Synopsis

The Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies (YIBS) makes research awards to graduate students studying the biosphere and the environment, broadly speaking. At Yale, this scientific research is typically associated with, but not limited to, the FAS departments of Anthropology (Biological Anthropology), Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, the Yale School of the Environment, and relevant Departments in the Yale School of Public Health and the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science.  

Proposals are solicited annually during the spring term and results are announced before the completion of the term. Each year the YIBS Small Grants Program receives more proposals than it can fund. All proposal budgets will be evaluated by the YIBS Director of Finance and Administration. See Allowable Expenses below; proposals that do not follow the guidelines below will be disqualified and will not be reviewed. The directors of the program will convene a committee to review proposals and assist in making funding decisions. 

The YIBS Small Grants Program offers two types of awards, directed toward master’s and doctoral students at different stages of their graduate programs. For specific examples of the scope of studies supported by these awards, please see the list of previous awards - click here to view. 

Early Grants  

The YIBS Small Grants Program Early Grants are intended to help early-stage doctoral students gather pilot data to justify their planned dissertation work or terminal master’s students conduct their thesis research. The maximum award is $3,000.

Eligibility 

Students enrolled in a PhD program in Anthropology, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Epidemiology and Public Health, Environmental Engineering, Yale School of the Environment or a related program, are eligible to apply. Masters’ students earning a terminal MS degree in Epidemiology and Public Health, Environmental Engineering, School of the Environment or related programs at Yale are eligible to apply. 

*If you have previously received this award, you are not eligible to apply for funding a second time.

Maximum Award: $3,000

Application Requirements 

1.     Applicant information (see application website) including:
1.     Project Title
2.     Contact Information
3.     Current Program and Year
4.     Advisor’s Name and Department
2.     Project Proposal
1.     Project Description (maximum 2 pages, single-spaced). The project description should identify the intellectual merit of your proposed work, its broader relevance, and describe the methods to be used.  
2.     References (no limit).
3.     Budget and Budget Justification (1 page). See Allowable Expenses below.
4.     Letters of Support
1.     Please provide one letter of support from faculty, ideally your research advisor. A second letter is optional. Letter(s) should address support for the project, the potential impact of the project, and the ability of the student to complete the proposed research. 
 

Application Procedure 

Early Grants applications are now closed for 2024.

Late Grants 

The YIBS Small Grants Program Late Grants are intended to provide partial support of dissertation research for improvement beyond the already existing project. These grants are intended for students who have already advanced to candidacy in a PhD program and who have already applied for extramural funding. The maximum award is $5,000.

Eligibility 

Students enrolled in a PhD program in Anthropology, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Epidemiology and Public Health, Environmental Engineering, Yale School of the Environment or a related program, who have advanced to candidacy on or before the submission deadline, are eligible to apply.

*If you have previously received this award, you are not eligible to apply for funding a second time. However, former recipients of the Early Award are eligible for the Late Award.

Maximum Award: $5,000

Application Requirements 

1.     Applicant Information (see website) including:
1.     Project Title
2.     Contact Information
3.     Current Program and Year
4.     Advisor’s Name and Department
2.     Project Proposal
1.     Project Description (maximum 5 pages, single-spaced). The project description should identify the intellectual merit of your proposed work, its broader relevance, and describe how it will improve the overall quality of the dissertation.
2.     References (no limit).
3.     Budget and Budget Justification (1 page). See Allowable Expenses below.
4.     Letters of Support
1.     Please provide one letter of support from faculty, ideally your research advisor. A second letter is optional. Letter(s) should address support for the project, the potential impact of the project, and the ability of the student to complete the proposed research. 
 

Application Procedure 

Late Grants applications are now closed for 2024.

Guidance Relevant to Both Grants    

Allowable Expenses  

Travel, lodging*, conferences, supplies, and equipment related directly to the proposed research are allowable.  The total request cannot exceed $5,000 and cannot include any salaries (proposals that include any salaries will be disqualified and will not be reviewed).  The funds will be issued to you via a Yale account within your School or Department.  YIBS will contact your School or Department to determine which budget account, or “COA”, the funds should be transferred to, and will make the transfer.  Please be in contact with your advisor and/or your School or Department’s Business Office regarding spending and monitoring the award. 

Any funds not spent within 3 years or by your date of graduation (whichever date is sooner) will be returned to YIBS – it will be your responsibility to document, track, and claim your expenses. Funding can be used to support research related travel and research related supplies/equipment. All purchases will be reviewed by your home department’s Business Office to ensure that expenses incurred adhere to Yale’s purchasing policy. In the event that a purchase does not meet Yale’s purchasing guidelines, your Business Office reserves the right to decline the purchase and/or reject the reimbursement.

The project must not be contingent on other funds or resources not already in hand, and the total project budget can not be more than the maximum amount of the award. It is not possible, for example, to propose a $10,000 project and indicate that additional grants have been applied for to cover costs beyond the maximum of this award. The proposed work must be stand-alone in the sense that if the award is provided, the applicant will have everything needed to succeed at the proposed work. If the proposed work is not a stand-alone project, it will be disqualified and will not be reviewed.

Note: Funded work must be conducted in accordance with University travel policy, including covid restrictions. If regulatory review is required, IRB or IACUC approval can be pending when the proposal is submitted, but awards are contingent upon final approval by these committees.

*Lodging cannot include rent for lodging at Yale or related expenses such as utility bills, laundry, etc. 

Contact Information:

Co-Directors, YIBS Small Grants Program: Craig Brodersen (craig.brodersen@yale.edu) and Vanessa Ezenwa (vanessa.ezenwa@yale.edu)

Since 2002 the YIBS Small Grants Program has supported the research of more than 100 Yale graduate students. Click here to view past Small Grants Program recipients.