Grants AND Scholarships

Link to TWS-WS Grant e-Application
The Western Section of The Wildlife Society offers financial assistance to help members advance their careers, fund research, and stay connected.
  • Travel Grants: Financial assistance to attend meetings, workshops, and continuing education.
  • Scientific Research: Funding to support your wildlife studies.
  • College Scholarships New!: Monetary grant to help aspiring wildlife students get their start.

We will do our best to accommodate as many people as we can based on our annual budget limitations and we encourage those who meet our eligibility requirements to apply for funding.

Please reach out if you have any questions: tws-west@tws-west.org

 Grants Available:

(1) TWS-WS Annual Meeting Grants- Applications due annually by December 1st at 5pm PST.

    • Travel grants for the TWS-WS Annual Meeting are available to Early Career Professionals (up to $600) and Professionals (to cover the registration fee). Applications are due by December 1st at 5pm PST. 
    • Students – Please apply to the TWS-WS Annual Meeting student volunteer program.  You should NOT fill out this e-application and should instead follow the link to the separate volunteer program application, coming soon.  Student Chapters – please reach out directly to students@tws-west.org if you need further assistance with student travel funds.

(2) Wildlife Workshop Grants – Accepted on a rolling basis, 2026 funds have been granted.  Check bank in 2027

    • Travel grants for TWS-WS workshops are available (up to $600). 
    • Travel grants for non-TWS-WS conferences are also available if the requester is presenting a paper or poster at the conference. A travel grant is contingent upon the paper’s acceptance at the requested conference (up to $600).

(3) Research Grants – Accepted on a rolling basis, 2026 funds have been granted.  Check bank in 2027

    • Research grants are available up to $2,000 each.

(4) College Scholarships for Wildlife Students – Applications due October 25, 2026 at 5pm PST

    • During our 2026 pilot year, four (4) $1,000 and eight (8) $500 scholarships will be awarded to incoming and enrolled students in a college-level wildlife degree or related field funded by the TWS-WS Member Memorial Endowment Fund
    • Funds may be used for college degree program expenses such as tuition, books, technology, and housing expense.
    • If the applicant meets the other minimum qualifications outlined in the “Eligibility Requirements” section below, a panel of reviewers will use a rubric to decide the awardees based on the quality of writing, expression of interest, career goals, justification for the award, benefit to section, and benefit to wildlife field.

Eligibility Requirements:

TWS-WS grant recipients will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • Applicants must demonstrate a clear financial need for funding (except for college scholarships).  

  • Applicants must be a current dues paid member of TWS-WS (dues can be submitted at the time of the application). Link to Membership Info

  • Applicants must live within the Western Section region or conduct college-level research in the geographic region of the Section (California, Nevada, Hawaii, other Pacific Islands). Western Section members who live outside of the Section geographic area must first apply for grant funding with the Section within which they reside. Secondarily, they can apply within our Section, if they meet the listed criteria and did not receive funding from their Section.

  • Travel grants for events outside TWS-WS, the grant applicant MUST be presenting an oral presentation or a poster.

What We Consider When Awarding Grants:

  • Availability of funds.

  • The amount of funding requested.

  • Applicants financial need.

  • If the applicant has received Western Section Grants in the past.  Note that we will award no more than three grants to an individual.

  • If more grant requests are received than funds are available, preference will go to:

    • those with the longest membership tenure with TWS-WS.

    • for the TWS-WS Annual Meeting, those who are presenting a poster or oral presentation.

Grants Process:

To apply for any TWS-WS grant, please fill out this e-application.  

Reimbursement checks will be issued to grant recipients after we receive their travel claim reimbursement form.

  • Link to the reimbursement google form – please fill this out after the event and be sure to include photos of all itemized receipts plus a photo proof of attendance and a written testimonial about how the grant helped you with your career goals.
    • Registration, travel, and lodging are eligible for reimbursement.
    • Itemized receipts are required for reimbursement;
    • Meals, drinks and alcohol are not reimbursable;
    • Reimbursements are limited to the items outlined in the original approved grant application..