Biota Awards Application Guide

This guide contains instructions to complete an application for the 2024 Biota Awards, including document formatting and proposal guidelines. Please review the entire guide BEFORE beginning the application process.

Biota Awardees receive $300,000 of flexible research funding distributed over three years to pursue research that will have an on-the-ground impact on biodiversity conservation.

For the 2024 award year, the program will consider applicants based at Illinois institutions. The geographic focus of the research is not restricted; however, all projects must have a meaningful connection to the Chicago region.* This connection may be through an organization based in the region, the focus of the work itself, or how the project engages with Chicago-region communities, organizations, and other researchers.

*The Chicago region is defined as the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Kane, Kendall, and Will. 

RESEARCH PROJECTS

We seek impactful proposals in all areas of biodiversity research that can deliver on-the-ground results. Projects must have a strong research element, but on-the-ground results are broadly defined. We are open to ideas that bring research out of the lab to have a meaningful impact on protecting, restoring and conserving biodiversity. This may include policy, advocacy, communication outcomes, community engagement, training, and implementation of adaptive land management and improved conservation practices.

We are interested in supporting the development and application of interdisciplinary or multi-sector approaches to biodiversity conservation. The strongest proposals are likely to be those that clearly engage the end-users of the research in the development of the projects and those with a strong plan for meaningfully engaging underrepresented and marginalized communities to help build a more diverse, welcoming, and equitable biodiversity research community.

Examples of areas of interest:

• Developing and strengthening links between academic research and conservation practitioners.

• Integrating biodiversity and conservation research with social science to improve communities and build sustainable livelihoods.

• Understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change on biodiversity conservation and the role it might play in mitigating the effects.

• Interdisciplinary and multi-sector approaches to understanding and conserving biodiversity.

• Detection, monitoring, and control of invasive species.

• Actionable efforts related to biodiversity monitoring and reporting.

• Impacts of agriculture on biodiversity and conservation.

• Quantifying and assessing natural capital and ecosystem services and applying this knowledge.

• Understanding and enhancing the role of nature and biodiversity in urban environments.

• Developing and applying technological approaches to conservation, for example, remote sensing, mapping, artificial intelligence, and molecular tools and analysis.

• Environmental DNA approaches and harnessing the microbiome.

• Integration and application of traditional ecological knowledge and practices into conservation practices.

• Research and application of community and participatory science.

• Projects that build conservation capacity and build sustainable livelihoods in biodiversity hotspots in low and middle-income countries.

• Contributions to conservation policy and regional, national, or international agendas for biodiversity conservation.

APPLICATION REVIEW

Applications will be reviewed by an expert Advisory Committee of leading scientists and practitioners. Proposals will be assessed according to the following criteria:

Research focus - The extent to which the project addresses a significant gap or need for biodiversity science.

Feasibility - The extent to which the proposed work is technically feasible and has the right resources to ensure its success.

On-the-ground results - The extent to which the project will result in meaningful on-the-ground impact.

Connection to Chicago - The extent to which the project has a meaningful connection to the Chicago region.

Leadership - The extent to which the applicant is a current or potential future leader in biodiversity science and its application.

Building the field - The extent to which the applicant and proposed work contribute to building a more diverse and equitable biodiversity research sector.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Applicants must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree or experience. Equivalent experience might be a master’s degree combined with several years of work as an independent researcher or a strong research track record. Please contact us with questions about eligibility: biotaawards@walderfoundation.org.

• The researcher is based at (or affiliated with) an academic, nonprofit, or government research institution located in Illinois that is a governmental unit or a registered Section 501(c)3, 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) public charity or is working with a fiscal sponsor that meets this requirement.

• The researcher is within seven years of their first independent research position at an academic, nonprofit, or government research institution as of January 1, 2023. That is, they began their first independent research position no earlier than January 1, 2016. Walder Foundation may consider a special exception in certain circumstances, specifically for family or medical leave. Contact biotaawards@walderfoundation.org for special exception approval.

• You are eligible to apply for this program if you are an independent researcher leading research projects similar to how a principal investigator works in a university setting. This means that in your current role, you independently design and lead research programs, either individually or as part of a research group that you lead. A good litmus test would be that you typically serve or expect to be the corresponding author on research publications for studies performed in your current role. We encourage you to use the personal statement section of the application to explain how you meet these criteria.

• Researchers employed at a university who have already received tenure (as of June 1, 2023) are not eligible to receive a Biota Award.

• Proposals must be submitted by a single researcher (principal investigator) as the project lead but may include collaborators at the same or different institutions. Grants will be made to a single institution. We encourage collaborations between Chicago-area institutions and collaborations that help build conservation capacity in underrepresented and marginalized communities in the Chicago region and low- and middle-income countries.

• Funding will be granted to institutions rather than individual researchers and is not portable. Recipients must remain at their institution for the three-year award period. If a recipient wishes to move from one Chicago-based institution to another, Walder Foundation may consider a special exception in appropriate circumstances; however, in all cases, the institution must agree to any such change.

• The principal investigator should make every reasonable effort to attend Biota Awards convenings held by Walder Foundation to share progress on the work funded through this program, including the celebration event likely to be held in June 2024.

Walder Foundation is committed to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. We encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds and projects that improve outcomes for those from underrepresented backgrounds.

We especially encourage applications from researchers based at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) and partnerships with these institutions.

TIMELINE

Application opens: JUNE 6, 2023

Application closes: OCTOBER 3, 2023, at 5 p.m. CT

Application review and interviews: OCTOBER 2023-JANUARY 2024

Applicants notified: MARCH 2024

Grants distributed: MARCH-APRIL 2024

Grants expended by: APRIL 2028

Biota Awards Celebration Event: JUNE 2024

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO APPLY

A complete application requires submitting an online form, uploading documents and submitting a video abstract. You must create an account in the Walder Foundation’s grants management system, foundationConnect. To create an account, you will need your organization’s EIN.

1. Create an account in foundationConnect and save an application.

Click on the button below and choose “Create New Account”:

You will receive a confirmation email from grants@walderfoundation.org. Click on the link in the email to verify your email address. You will receive a second email from grants@walderfoundation.org. Click the link in the second email to create your password, sign in to your account, and start and save a new application. To save an application, complete the first field, Project Title (you can change this later), and then choose Save. If you do not enter and save a Project Title, your application will not save.

IMPORTANT: If you do not start your application immediately after receiving the confirmation email, you will need to return to this page and click the link above to be directed to the Biota Awards application form.

If you are already registered in our grants management system, click on the link above and choose “Sign In” and you will be directed to the application form.

2. Continue to work on and complete your application.

Once you have saved an application, use the link below to resume work and submit your application:

Walder Foundation Grantee Portal

You can log in any time (up until the deadline) to work on your application and save your progress.

We recommend creating your account early to familiarize yourself with the system and the application form.

An automated email confirmation is generated upon submission of the application. If you do not receive a confirmation within 24 hours of submitting your application, please check your spam folder and then contact: grants@walderfoundation.org

Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. CT on October 3, 2023

Below are details about the information required for each part of the application:

ONLINE FORM

• Information about the applicant’s organization and contact information for the following:

  • Principal investigator (PI)

  • Grant agreement contact to review/sign the agreement

  • Payment contact for grant payments

  • Communications contact to coordinate grant publicity

• Tax ID of applicant’s organization

• Project title

• Website for PI or research group (optional)

• Geographic focus of research (select from the drop-down list)

• Executive summary (up to 1,500 characters)

• Goals (3-5 goals for your proposed research over the next three years)

DOCUMENT UPLOADS

In addition to the online form, applicants will need to prepare documents to upload to foundationConnect. There are 10 separate documents to prepare for upload:

The following should be uploaded to your application:

1-Research proposal

2-Budget narrative

3-Line-item budget

4-Applicant’s biosketch

5-Demographics form

The following should be uploaded to the “other” section in foundationConnect:

6-Diversity, equity and inclusion plan

7-Personal statement

8-Letter of recommendation

9-Letter of reference

10-Letters of support from partner organizations

DOCUMENT FORMATTING AND GUIDELINES

The research proposal, budget narrative, and personal statement must follow the formatting guidelines. Files must be saved as Word or PDFs, except the line-item budget and the demographics form, which should use the Excel templates provided below.

Documents should be formatted as follows:

• Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman font

• 11-point font or larger

• At least 0.5” margins on all sides

• Single-spacing

• Standard character spacing (neither expanded nor condensed)

Documents that do not adhere to these restrictions may not be reviewed.

1-RESEARCH PROPOSAL (up to 8 pages excluding citations)

The page limits noted below are only guidelines for the individual sections. The entire research proposal should not exceed eight pages.

Project Background (~2 pages)

Describe the background and previous work that has led to this project. Include a brief review of the literature and, if relevant, any examples of similar projects that have been successful elsewhere. Explain why this research is needed, the specific problem/s you are trying to solve, and the solutions that the work aims to provide.

Project Aims and Objectives (~1-1.5 pages)

Describe the specific goals of the project and specify any hypotheses that will be tested. If applicable, briefly present any relevant preliminary data. Describe the goals for translating the research into potential solutions and on-the-ground outcomes.

Project Design, Approach, and Timeline (~2 pages)

Describe your planned approach and study design for specific project aims and objectives, including key milestones, as well as any supporting services (e.g., community engagement) you may need to complete your work. If applicable, outline any key dependencies between activities or interim milestones that will influence project decisions or directions. Describe your approach to ensuring your work will result in on-the-ground outcomes.

Expected On-the-ground Outcomes (~1 page)

Describe how you expect your work to inform and result in on-the-ground conservation outcomes. Indicate the partnerships required to achieve these outcomes and the impact this work will have on the wider research and conservation community.

Communication, Outreach and Engagement Plan (~0.5-1 page)

Describe how you will communicate the results of your project, the audiences and communities you aim to engage and any outreach activities you plan to participate in. How have these communities influenced your research plans and direction?

Collaborations (~0.5 page)

Describe the key collaborations and partnerships in this work and their roles. Please indicate whether specific partnerships are already established, identified but not established, or not yet established. If applicable, describe how you will go about identifying and establishing new partnerships. Indicate which partners (if any) you might consider for sub-grants or sub-contracts through this work and which have their own sources of funding.

Works Cited (not counted in the total 8-page limit)

List any published works cited in the project proposal. Citations should include all authors’ names, article/journal title (or preprint server name), book/article title, and publication year.

2-BUDGET NARRATIVE (0.5-1 page)

Summarize the budget needs of the project. Include a description of any sub-grants/sub-contracts you are considering, naming any organizations—if they are known. (Sub-grant/subcontract budgets are informational only, as all such decisions are at the discretion of the awardee institution.) Indicate whether any match funding is committed or pending. Please note that a match is not required.

Awards are for a total of $300,000 over three years, including indirect costs. Payments will be made in installments of $100,000 at the start of each of the three grant years covered by the award, subject to receiving an annual grant report. However, project costs do not have to be evenly distributed across the funding period. If this is the case, provide justification in the narrative. Funds may be used to provide salary support for the awardee (limited to 20% of their annual salary for any given year), postdoctoral and/or graduate and undergraduate research assistants, travel, equipment, consumables, and other research expenses. Awardee institutions, at their discretion, may sub-grant a portion of the funds to collaborating organizations. All decisions regarding sub-grants will be made by awardee institutions and not by Walder Foundation. Indirect costs are limited to 15% of total direct costs.

3-LINE-ITEM BUDGET: DOWNLOAD the budget template.

Instructions for completing the budget can be found in the first sheet of the Excel workbook. Please only complete sub-award budgets for sub-awards totaling over $100,000.

4-APPLICANT BIOSKETCH: Provide a biosketch in the current NSF-approved format. View here for more information.

5-DEMOGRAPHICS FORM: DOWNLOAD the Walder Foundation’s demographics form.

6-DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PLAN (up to 1 page)

Describe current and planned efforts to ensure and enhance diversity and inclusion of underrepresented and marginalized individuals and communities in the proposed project.

This section should discuss the following:

• Strategies that will be used to ensure a diverse team (PIs, research staff, trainees, interns, etc.) or provide training/engagement opportunities for underrepresented and marginalized groups. 

• Current or planned strategies to ensure an equitable and inclusive work environment within the project team and, if appropriate, in the broader organization or in the community where the work is taking place.

• The applicant’s experience or track record on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion that will inform the proposed work.  

• Any other approaches that will promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Depending on the focus or type of project, applicants may also wish to discuss the following:

• How you will ensure inclusive outreach and engagement activities, especially with communities that may be involved in or be impacted by the project.

• How the project will contribute to reducing inequities in the relevant field(s), specifically for underrepresented and marginalized groups.

• How you will develop meaningful and equitable collaborations with organizations that serve underrepresented and marginalized groups or with organizations that have an equity focus.

7-PERSONAL STATEMENT (up to 2 pages)

Provide a personal statement that outlines your career trajectory and interest in the Biota Awards program. Use the following to frame your response:

• Describe your career to date, including challenges you have faced and key achievements.

  Outline your vision for the future of the field and the role you wish to play in shaping it.

  Provide examples of how you have demonstrated leadership and taken innovative approaches to your work and the results achieved, including any tangible examples of translating your research into conservation outcomes.

8-LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

Letters of recommendation should be from the home institution/organization and signed by the applicant’s head of department or executive director. The letter should explain what resources the institution will make available to the applicant and how the proposed project aligns with the organization’s mission.

9-LETTERS OF REFERENCE

Letters of reference should speak to the applicant’s suitability for leading this research. Letters should articulate the applicant’s unique qualities and highlight key aspects of experience that indicate they are well-placed to translate research into conservation outcomes. Letters should be written by people who can speak to the applicant’s experience, skills, and commitment to the field, such as colleagues, former colleagues, partner organizations, and collaborators.

10-LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM PARTNER ORGANIZATION(S)

Letters of support should be from partner organizations with a significant role or interest in the work. Letters should describe the relationship between the organization and the applicant, the role the organization will play in the project, and the benefits the project will provide to their mission. If relevant, the letter should also describe any resources the organization is dedicating to the project.

11-VIDEO ABSTRACT

A video abstract is a video recording up to five minutes in length, where you provide an overview of your proposal:

Discuss your proposed work, including the partners required to complete the work, the potential on-the-ground outcomes, and the work’s connection to the Chicago region.

Video abstracts should be submitted using the online platform, Hireflix.

Hireflix instructions:

1. Go to the Hireflix website.

2. Enter your name and email address.

3. Check for an email from Hireflix with a unique link to record your video abstract. Be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see the email in your inbox.

4. To begin, press Start Interview. You will first be prompted to confirm your video and audio settings.

5. Press Start Interview again to proceed to the video recording page. Recording will begin automatically after a 60-second countdown. Or you can begin recording at any time by choosing Answer Now.

6. You may re-record your video as many times as you wish.

Video abstracts will not be used as part of the initial proposal review but will be used later in the process to provide summaries of the proposed work for reviewers and Walder Foundation leadership.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For clarification about research priorities, eligibility, or scientific requirements, please contact biotaawards@walderfoundation.org.

For inquiries about the online application, please contact grants@walderfoundation.org.

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