Graduate Research Funding

Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant Program

Sponsored by the UC Natural Reserve System, the Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant Program is open to University of California graduate students pursuing any discipline who plan to work at one or more sites in the NRS. A maximum of $38,000 is awarded each year, with each applicant receiving up to $3,000. The grants commemorate Mildred E. Mathias, a former professor of botany at UC Los Angeles and a founder of the NRS.

Projects awarded Mathias Research Grants to date

Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve Graduate Student Research Grants

Supporting research conducted at or based out of the NRS’s Valentine Camp Reserve or Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, the Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve Graduate Student Research Grant competition is open to graduate students enrolled at any accredited college or university. Applicants may receive awards of up to $1,500. Proposals are evaluated on research merit and the need for special conditions found at and around the reserves, among other criteria.

William Simes Research Fund

The William Simes Research Fund supports field research spanning multiple months at Hastings Natural History Reservation. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and exceptional undergraduates enrolled at any accredited institution may apply. Recipients are awarded up to $1,500 toward the costs of housing, food, and other supplies required to conduct field work. The fund honors the father of Frances Simes Hastings who, with her husband Russell, donated the land in Carmel Valley that became Hastings Natural History Reservation. 

Coal Oil Point Reserve Graduate Student Research Awards

The Coal Oil Point Reserve Graduate Student Research Awards are available to graduate students enrolled at any accredited university who plan to conduct research at the reserve. Located adjacent to UC Santa Barbara, the reserve includes beach, salt marsh, coastal scrub, and a breeding colony of endangered western snowy plovers. 

Mayhew Graduate Research Award for Boyd Deep Canyon

The Mayhew Graduate Research Award is available to graduate students conducting research at Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center. One or more grants of up to $4,200 are awarded by the review panel. The competition is open to all graduate students, not just those enrolled at the University of California. As Boyd Deep Canyon is a gateway reserve, research projects conducted off site also will be considered.

CONICYT Fellowship

All Chilean graduate students who have been accepted into the University of California and meet criteria set by the CONICYT (Comisión Nacional de Investigatión Científica y Tecnológica) program are eligible to apply. The CONICYT Fellowship can be used to support field research or other work conducted at NRS reserves.