Deadline: 11-Apr-24
The National Geographic Society warmly welcomes and encourages applicants from historically and currently underrepresented and underserved populations to apply for its grant program.
National Geographic is committed to funding a diverse and globally representative cohort of Explorers.
Funded projects will incorporate science, storytelling, and/or education, and must align with one or more of the Society’s five focus areas: Ocean, Land, Wildlife, Human History & Cultures, and Human Ingenuity.
The National Geographic Society offers grant opportunities at various entry points to provide a dynamic pathway to join the community and engage with them.
Grant Categories
- Grants will be available in two distinct categories:
- Level I Grants: If you are working to establish yourself in your field, hope to gain experience leading projects, are interested in joining the National Geographic Explorer community, and have not yet received a grant from the National Geographic Society, you may apply for a Level I Grant for one-year long projects. These grants are highly competitive and priority will be given to applicants who thoughtfully demonstrate how joining the Explorer Community will help to establish their career.
- Level II Grants: If you are more established in your field, have previously received a grant from the National Geographic Society, or are seeking a higher level of funding, you may apply for a Level II Grant. You are not required to have previously received a grant from the National Geographic Society to apply for this opportunity. These grants are highly competitive and reserved for select projects that push boundaries to achieve significant and tangible impact in your field. Projects can be up to two years long.
Funding Information
- Level I Grants: Funding requests at this level can be up to USD $20,000.
- Level II Grants: Funding requests at this level can be up to USD $100,000, but smaller requests will be accommodated and will not be more or less competitive.
What they Fund?
- Bold, innovative, transformative work
- They fund individuals working on projects in science, conservation, storytelling, education, and technology that align with one or more of the focus areas.
- And they don’t just support their incredible work. They actively seek to help them network, connect, and learn with National Geographic and each other, empower them with cutting-edge tools, technology, and training, and further their impact and recognition through the storytelling.
- Ocean: They explore, understand, and conserve marine and coastal systems and inspire and empower local and global audiences to better understand and protect the ocean.
- Land: They explore, understand, and conserve terrestrial and freshwater systems and inspire and empower local and global audiences to better understand and protect the lands, lakes, and rivers.
- Wildlife: This focus area covers projects informed by science that inspire and empower local and global audiences to better understand and protect wildlife, including animals, plants, and fungi.
- Human Histories and Cultures: They preserve cultural knowledge and better understand human histories, culture, diversity, and evolution — past and present; and inspire and spark curiosity in local and global audiences with stories or lessons about humanity.
- Human Ingenuity: They develop novel or inventive solutions or use existing approaches in a new way to address critical challenges and produce insights that illuminate and protect the wonder of the world.
Eligibility Criteria
- You must be 18 or older to apply for a National Geographic Society grant.
- Please note the additional eligibility requirements that are relevant for both grant levels:
- The application must be submitted in English, although English does not have to be your primary language.
- Project start dates should be a minimum of six months after the submission deadline to ensure any awarded funds are received in time.
- If you are working on a project outside your home country or community, or with datasets coming from outside your home country or community, you must include at least one collaborator local to the project’s country and/or community on your team who is significantly involved in the project
- Methods and/or means of work must be ethical, sensitive, and align with the National Geographic Society Code of Ethics.
- You may submit a proposal as the project leader for only one National Geographic Society grant at a time.
- You must submit a final report and media from any previous National Geographic Society grants for which you were the leader before applying to lead a new project.
- Note for National Geographic Explorers: The above rule does not apply to Explorer-exclusive funding opportunities such as Meridian Projects (formerly known as Explorer Community Collaboration Grants). You can be actively leading a Meridian Project at the same time as a National Geographic Society grant project.
- The individual responsible for carrying out the project should write the application and be listed as the project leader.
For more information, visit National Geographic Society Grants Program.