The National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants Program helps qualified and experienced individuals launch the most difficult stage of a project for which to secure funding—the search. Grants are made for exploratory fieldwork that holds promise for new breakthroughs in the natural and social sciences. NGS/Waitt Grants applications are processed throughout the year and grants are awarded expeditiously to help researchers take advantage of immediate opportunities. The NGS/Waitt grants are an initiative of the National Geographic Society and the Waitt Institute.

Funded through a five-year grant from the Waitt Foundation, the NGS/Waitt Grants Program is administered by National Geographic Mission Programs and makes approximately one hundred grants annually of $5,000 to $15,000. Proposals are considered as they are received and awards are made within weeks of application.

The Waitt Grants Program upholds rigorous standards of review and scientific merit, but does not shy away from risky or unproven ideas. In that spirit, NGS/Waitt Grants support projects at the cutting edge of technology and research. The Program encourages applicants to think big—but travel light—as they look toward new frontiers around the globe. Grants are made to explorers and scientists in research fields such as biology, anthropology, and the geosciences who are working across disciplines and reacting quickly to field opportunities.

The NGS/Waitt Grants Program targets nascent initiatives and untested concepts that may have trouble finding funding through traditional sources. Where time is short and the stakes are high, NGS/Waitt Grants can ensure that opportunities for discovery are undertaken. The NGS/Waitt Grants Program is a collaboration of the National Geographic Society and the Waitt Institute, and is made possible by a grant from the Waitt Foundation.

About NGS/Waitt Grant Funding
The National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants Program funds projects that require venture capital, supporting exceptional projects while foregoing a time-consuming peer-review process. NGS/Waitt grants are able to fund “proof of concept” research for applicants at an earlier stage in their careers than other NGS grant programs. Special emphasis is placed on expedited grant processing and turnaround. The selection committee endeavors to have funding decisions made within eight weeks of application submission. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Read the rest of this entry »

The NGS/Waitt Grant Program has funded over 80 projects in its first two years, providing the essential support for cutting-edge exploratory research, leading to a vibrant and novel future in scientific conservation, research and exploration. Our grantees conduct research in the cultural and biological sciences around the word.

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The NGS/Waitt Grant Program has funded over 80 projects in its first two years, providing the essential support for cutting-edge exploratory research, leading to a vibrant and novel future in scientific conservation, research and exploration. Our grantees conduct research in the cultural and biological sciences around the word.

AFRICA

Barham, Peter
3D Video Biometric Passports for Animals
South Africa

Bichain, Jean-Michel
Win-Timdouine 2008
Morocco

Carmody, Padraig R.
The Geography of Asian Manufacturing in Africa: The Zambian Case
Zambia

Creasman, Pearce Paul
Search for the Lost Ships of a Pharaoh: A Geophysical Survey at the Pyramid Complex of Senwosret III
Egypt

Curran, Michael P.
Biodiversity Monitoring of the Bats (Order Chiroptera) in the Montane Ecosystems of Southeastern Africa
Mozambique and Malawi

Dalerum, Fredrik
Ecological Effects of Lions in the Lapalala Wilderness Area
South Africa

DeGusta, David
Human Origins: Fossils and Stone Tools in the Southern Weyto Jungle
Ethiopia

Ferriere, Ludovic
Expedition to a Probable Meteorite Impact Structure
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Gardiner, Edward P.
Eco-Hydrologic Mapping in the Lower Congo River
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Hlusko, Leslea J.
Survey for New Paleoanthropological Sites
Tanzania

Horlings, Rachel L.
Micro-Sampling and Remote Sensing: Better Understandings of Historic Shipwrecks
Ghana

McEntee, Jay P.
Bird Song, Sexual Selection, and Sky Island Speciation in the Eastern Afromontane
Tanzania and Kenya

Shea, John
Later Stone Age Hunter-Gatherers and Herders in West Turkana
Kenya

Sherrow, Hogan M.
Wild Chimpanzee Behavioral Ecology at Kansara, Kibale National Park, Uganda
Uganda

Simons, Elwyn L.
Exploration for Giant Lemur and Associated Subfossils in Cave Sites on the Mikoboka Plateau
Madagascar

Terborgh, John W.
Role of Megafauna in Forest Dynamics
Gabon

Vasey, Natalie
Nesting of Young in Red Variegated Lemurs (Varecia rubra) of the Masoala Peninsula
Madagascar

Zalmout, Iyad S. A.
Eocene Whales and Sea Cows of Siwa Oasis, Western Desert of Egypt
Egypt

AUSTRALIA & OCEANA

Cobb, Kim M.
Fingerprinting Climate Change in Tropical Pacific Corals: An Expedition to the Southern Line Islands
Kiribati

Dabek, Lisa F.
Tree Kangaroo Canopy Behavior
Papua New Guinea

Pitman, Robert L.
A New Living Species of Whale at Palmyra Island?
Kiribati

Renner, Susanne S.
Finding and Bringing into Cultivation the Closest Relatives of Cucumber, Cucumis sativus (Cucurbitaceae)
Australian Territories, Thailand, India, and Vietnam

Shaw, Allison K.
Christmas Island Red Crabs: A Model Migratory System
Australian Islands

Tse, Peter U.
Camera-Trapping in the Most Remote Valley of the Barisan range of Sumatra
Indonesia

ASIA

Byers, Alton C.
The Threat from Above: A Reconnaissance of New and Dangerous Glacial Lakes in the Mt. Everest and Makalu-Barun National Parks
Nepal

Hiebert, Fredrik T.
Lake Issyk Kul Underwater Archaeology Reconnaissance
Kyrgyzstan

Jensen, Olaf P.
Can Climate and Land-Use Change Drive Biotic Homogenization of Fish Communities in a Large, Deep, Pristine, Lake?
Mongolia

Kafley, Hemanta
Evaluation of Tiger Corridors: Habitat Occupancy by Tiger Prey Species across the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL)
Nepal

Li, Qiang
Reconnaissance for Fossil Vertebrates in the Zanda Basin, Southwestern Tibetan Plateau
China

Lin, Albert Yu-min
The Valley of the Khans Project
Mongolia

Negus Cleary, Michelle L.
Remote Sensing Survey of Kazakly-Yatkan Site, Uzbekistan: Urban Settlement, Fortified Refuge or Sacred Center?
Uzbekistan

Sasaki, Randall J.
The Mongol Invasion of Vietnam: Revealing the Secret of the Battle of Bach Dang
Vietnam

Wangchuk, Tshewang R.
Snow Leopard Population Status and its Relation to Livestock Predation in Bhutan, and Population Connectivity across its Global Range
Bhutan

CENTRAL AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

Beeker, Charles D.
Remote Sensing Survey for Nuestra Señora de Begoña: A Lost 18th Century Spanish Merchant Ship
Dominican Republic

Canuto, Marcello A.
Preliminary Archaeological Investigation of El Achiotal: A Preclassic Lowland Maya Site in Western Petén
Guatemala

Galindo-Cardona, Alberto
Use of Remote Sensors to Detect Drone Congregation Areas of Apis mellifera
Puerto Rico

Garrison, Thomas G.
Remote Sensing the Ancient Maya Landscape
Guatemala

Geurds, Alexander
Charting the Past of Central Nicaragua: A Reconnaissance of the Amerrisque Mountains
Nicaragua

Hirsch, Ben T.
Seeing and Smelling the Enemy through the Trees: Predator-Prey Interactions in a Tropical Forest
Panama

Richards, Nathan T.
Wrecks and Wrecking in St. Georges Island, Bermuda: An Archaeology and History of Economic Opportunism
Bermuda

Solari, Sergio
Taxonomic and Ecological Diversity of Mammals within Parque Nacional “Los Katios”
Colombia

Suarez, Luis F.
Biomass Burning and Air Pollution in the Southern Amazon
Peru

EUROPE

Goswami, Anjali
High Arctic Faunal Response to Rapid Climate Change in the Palaeogene
Norway

Martin, Scott W. J.
The Mesolithic Fisher-Gatherer-Hunters of Northwestern Ireland
United Kingdom and Ireland

Wickham-Jones, Caroline R.
Drowned Stone Age Settlement of the Bay of Firth, Orkney, Scotland
United Kingdom

MIDDLE EAST

Cline, Eric H.
Emergency Excavation of Possible Royal Canaanite Tombs at Tel Kabri
Israel

Knabb, Kyle A.
Wadi Feid Expedition
Jordan

NORTH AMERICA

Clark, Rulon W.
Understanding Predator-Prey Signaling Interactions: The Dynamics of Antisnake Displays in Ground Squirrels and Kangaroo Rats
United States

Gusick, Amy E.
Mal de Mer no Mas: Searching for Early Underwater Sites in the Sea of Cortez
Mexico

Hutson, Scott R.
Ancient Maya Political and Economic Transformations: Settlement Survey of the Ucí Inter-Site Causeway
Mexico

Keogh, Eamonn J.
Understanding the Evolution of Petroglyphs through Space and Time
United States

Kochel, Craig
Impact of Arctic Warming and Deglaciation on Periglacial Processes and Landform Evolution in Alpine Escarpments
United States

Magnoni, Aline
Understanding Chichen Itza’s Polity: Archaeological Investigations at X’telhu
Mexico

Meacham, Samuel
Standish
Ox Bel Ha/Sian Ka’an Water Protection Project
Mexico

Myers, Adrian T.
Canadian National Parks Internment Camp Archaeology Project
Canada

Pollack, John C.
Exploring the Ghost Ship of the Yukon: The A.J. Goddard
Canada

Scherer, Andrew K.
In the Footsteps of Teobert Maler: Rediscovery of Ancient Maya Sites in the Central Portion of the Usumacinta Valley
Mexico

Schwarz, George R.
Reconstructing the Steamboat Phoenix
United States

Smyth, Michael P.
The Beginnings of Complex Society in the Puuc Region: Archaeological Survey and Excavation at Xcoch
Mexico

Sullivan, Alan P.
Determining the Regional Extent of Aboriginal Occupation with High-Resolution Satellite-Based Predictive Models
United States

Vigliani, Silvina A.
Spiritual Paintings and Liminal places between Comca’ac
Mexico

Weir, Jason T.
Rates of Vocal and Plumage Evolution across a Latitudinal Gradient
Peru and Canada

Whitney, Nicholas M.
The Use of Acceleration Data Loggers to Quantify Shark Mating Behaviors, Sexual Selection, and Mating Systems
United States

Yorzinski, Jessica L.
Through the Eyes of Females: Individual Mating Preferences and Multiple Male Traits
United States

SOUTH AMERICA

Acevedo, Rogelio D.
Exploration, Mapping, and Petrological and Geochemical Sampling on the Bajada del Diablo Impact Strewn Field in Central Patagonia
Argentina

Boubli, Jean Philippe
Primate Biodiversity in the Brazilian Pantepui: In Search of New Species
Brazil

Funk, W. Chris
Uncovering Cryptic Species of Amazonian Rainforest Frogs
Ecuador

Greeney, Harold F.
Breeding Biology of Antpittas (Formicariidae) in the Ecuadorian Andes
Ecuador

Pimentel, Gonzalo
The Atacama Geoglyph Project
Chile

Rivera, Mario A.
Las Rojas, A Mastodon Site in Northern Chile
Chile

Thorbjarnarson, John B.
Reproductive Dynamics of the Black Caiman in the Brazilian Amazon
Brazil

Trujillo Gonzalez, Fernando
Estimation of Abundance of the River Dolphins Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatilis in Two Main Rivers of Peru and Brazil: A Program for Aquatic Ecosystems Conservation
Brazil and Peru

Weir, Jason T.
Rates of Vocal and Plumage Evolution across a Latitudinal Gradient
Peru and Canada

The NGS/Waitt Grant Program has funded over 80 projects in its first two years, providing the essential support for cutting-edge exploratory research, leading to a vibrant and novel future in scientific conservation, research and exploration. Our grantees conduct research in the cultural and biological sciences around the word.

ANTHROPOLOGY

Boubli, Jean Philippe
Primate Biodiversity in the Brazilian Pantepui: In Search of New Species
Brazil

DeGusta, David
Human Origins: Fossils and Stone Tools in the Southern Weyto Jungle
Ethiopia

Keogh, Eamonn J.
Understanding the Evolution of Petroglyphs through Space and Time
United States

Sherrow, Hogan M.
Wild Chimpanzee Behavioral Ecology at Kansara, Kibale National Park
Uganda

Simons, Elwyn L.
Exploration for Giant Lemur and Associated Subfossils in Cave Sites on the Mikoboka Plateau
Madagascar

Vasey, Natalie
Nesting of Young in Red Variegated Lemurs (Varecia rubra) of the Masoala Peninsula
Madagascar

ARCHAEOLOGY

Beeker, Charles D.
Remote Sensing Survey for Nuestra Señora de Begoña: A Lost 18th Century Spanish Merchant Ship
Dominican Republic

Canuto, Marcello A.
Preliminary Archaeological Investigation of El Achiotal: A Preclassic Lowland Maya Site in Western Petén
Guatemala

Cline, Eric H.
Emergency Excavation of Possible Royal Canaanite Tombs at Tel Kabri
Israel

Creasman, Pearce Paul
Search for the Lost Ships of a Pharaoh: A Geophysical Survey at the Pyramid Complex of Senwosret III
Egypt

Garrison, Thomas G.
Remote Sensing the Ancient Maya Landscape
Guatemala

Geurds, Alexander
Charting the Past of Central Nicaragua: A Reconnaissance of the Amerrisque Mountains
Nicaragua

Gusick, Amy E.
Mal de Mer no Mas: Searching for Early Underwater Sites in the Sea of Cortez
Mexico

Hiebert, Fredrik T.
Lake Issyk Kul Underwater Archaeology Reconnaissance
Kyrgyzstan

Horlings, Rachel L.
Micro-Sampling and Remote Sensing: Better Understandings of Historic Shipwrecks
Ghana

Hutson, Scott R.
Ancient Maya Political and Economic Transformations: Settlement Survey of the Ucí Inter-Site Causeway
Mexico

Knabb, Kyle A.
Wadi Feid Expedition
Jordan

Lin, Albert Yu-min
The Valley of the Khans Project
Mongolia

Magnoni, Aline
Understanding Chichen Itza’s Polity: Archaeological Investigations at X’telhu, Yucatan
Mexico

Martin, Scott W. J.
The Mesolithic Fisher-Gatherer-Hunters of Northwestern Ireland
United Kingdom and Ireland

Myers, Adrian T.
Canadian National Parks Internment Camp Archaeology Project
Canada

Negus Cleary, Michelle L.
Remote Sensing Survey of Kazakly-Yatkan Site, Uzbekistan: Urban Settlement, Fortified Refuge or Sacred Center?
Uzbekistan

Pimentel, Gonzalo
The Atacama Geoglyph Project
Chile

Pollack, John C.
Exploring the Ghost Ship of the Yukon: The A.J. Goddard
Canada

Richards, Nathan T.
Wrecks and Wrecking in St. Georges Island, Bermuda: An Archaeology and History of Economic Opportunism
Bermuda

Sasaki, Randall J.
The Mongol Invasion of Vietnam: Revealing the Secret of the Battle of Bach Dang
Vietnam

Scherer, Andrew K.
In the Footsteps of Teobert Maler: Rediscovery of Ancient Maya Sites in the Central Portion of the Usumacinta Valley
Mexico

Schwarz, George R.
Reconstructing the Steamboat Phoenix
United States

Shea, John
Later Stone Age Hunter-Gatherers and Herders in West Turkana
Kenya

Smyth, Michael P.
The Beginnings of Complex Society in the Puuc Region: Archaeological Survey and Excavation at Xcoch
Mexico

Sullivan, Alan P.
Determining the Regional Extent of Aboriginal Occupation with High-Resolution Satellite-Based Predictive Models
United States

Vigliani, Silvina A.
Spiritual Paintings and Liminal places between Comca’ac
Mexico

Wickham-Jones, Caroline R.
Drowned Stone Age Settlement of the Bay of Firth, Orkney, Scotland
United Kingdom

BIOLOGY

Barham, Peter
3D Video Biometric Passports for Animals
South Africa

Bichain, Jean-Michel
Win-Timdouine 2008
Morocco

Clark, Rulon W.
Understanding Predator-Prey Signaling Interactions: The Dynamics of Antisnake Displays in Ground Squirrels and Kangaroo Rats
United States

Curran, Michael P.
Biodiversity Monitoring of the Bats (Order Chiroptera) in the Montane Ecosystems of Southeastern Africa
Mozambique and Malawi

Dabek, Lisa F.
Tree Kangaroo Canopy Behavior
Papua New Guinea

Dalerum, Fredrik
Ecological Effects of Lions in the Lapalala Wilderness Area
South Africa

Funk, W. Chris
Uncovering Cryptic Species of Amazonian Rainforest Frogs
Ecuador

Galindo-Cardona, Alberto
Use of Remote Sensors to Detect Drone Congregation Areas of Apis mellifera
Puerto Rico

Greeney, Harold F.
Breeding Biology of Antpittas (Formicariidae) in the Ecuadorian Andes
Ecuador

Hirsch, Ben T.
Seeing and Smelling the Enemy through the Trees: Predator-Prey Interactions in a Tropical Forest
Panama

Jensen, Olaf P.
Can Climate and Land-Use Change Drive Biotic Homogenization of Fish Communities in a Large, Deep, Pristine, Lake?
Mongolia

Kafley, Hemanta
Evaluation of Tiger Corridors: Habitat Occupancy by Tiger Prey Species across the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL)
Nepal

McEntee, Jay P.
Bird Song, Sexual Selection, and Sky Island Speciation in the Eastern Afromontane
Tanzania and Kenya

Pitman, Robert L.
A New Living Species of Whale at Palmyra Island?
Kiribati

Renner, Susanne S.
Finding and Bringing into Cultivation the Closest Relatives of Cucumber, Cucumis sativus (Cucurbitaceae)
Australian Territories, Thailand, India, and Vietnam

Shaw, Allison K.
Christmas Island Red Crabs: A Model Migratory System
Australian Islands

Solari, Sergio
Taxonomic and Ecological Diversity of Mammals within Parque Nacional “Los Katios”
Colombia

Terborgh, John W.
Role of Megafauna in Forest Dynamics
Gabon

Thorbjarnarson, John B.
Reproductive Dynamics of the Black Caiman in the Brazilian Amazon
Brazil

Trujillo Gonzalez, Fernando
Estimation of Abundance of the River Dolphins Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatilis in Two Main Rivers of Peru and Brazil: A Program for Aquatic Ecosystems Conservation
Brazil and Peru

Tse, Peter U.
Camera-Trapping in the Most Remote Valley of the Barisan range of Sumatra
Indonesia

Wangchuk, Tshewang R.
Snow Leopard Population Status and its Relation to Livestock Predation in Bhutan, and Population Connectivity across its Global Range
Bhutan

Weir, Jason T.
Rates of Vocal and Plumage Evolution across a Latitudinal Gradient
Peru and Canada

Whitney, Nicholas M.
The Use of Acceleration Data Loggers to Quantify Shark Mating Behaviors, Sexual Selection, and Mating Systems
United States

Yorzinski, Jessica L.
Through the Eyes of Females: Individual Mating Preferences and Multiple Male Traits
United States

GEOGRAPHY

Byers, Alton C.
The Threat from Above: A Reconnaissance of New and Dangerous Glacial Lakes in the Mt. Everest and Makalu-Barun National Parks
Nepal

Carmody, Padraig R.
The Geography of Asian Manufacturing in Africa: The Zambian Case
Zambia

Gardiner, Edward P
Eco-Hydrologic Mapping in the Lower Congo River
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kochel, Craig
Impact of Arctic Warming and Deglaciation on Periglacial Processes and Landform Evolution in Alpine Escarpments
United States

Suarez, Luis F.
Biomass Burning and Air Pollution in the Southern Amazon
Peru

GEOLOGY

Acevedo, Rogelio D.
Exploration, Mapping, and Petrological and Geochemical Sampling on the Bajada del Diablo Impact Strewn Field in Central Patagonia
Argentina

Ferriere, Ludovic
Expedition to a Probable Meteorite Impact Structure
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Meacham, Samuel
Standish
Ox Bel Ha/Sian Ka’an Water Protection Project
Mexico

OCEANOGRAPHY

Cobb, Kim M.
Fingerprinting Climate Change in Tropical Pacific Corals: An Expedition to the Southern Line Islands
Kiribati

PALEONTOLOGY

Goswami, Anjali
High Arctic Faunal Response to Rapid Climate Change in the Palaeogene
Norway

Hlusko, Leslea J.
Survey for New Paleoanthropological Sites
Tanzania

Li, Qiang
Reconnaissance for Fossil Vertebrates in the Zanda Basin, Southwestern Tibetan Plateau
China

Rivera, Mario A.
Las Rojas, A Mastodon Site in Northern Chile
Chile

Zalmout, Iyad S. A.
Eocene Whales and Sea Cows of Siwa Oasis, Western Desert of Egypt
Egypt