Deadline: 18-Sep-2025
The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) is inviting applications for its Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) Award, specifically for current master’s and doctoral students enrolled in U.S.-based colleges and universities. The award supports students conducting research in wildland fire and related physical, biological, and social science fields. Its purpose is to increase the policy and management relevance of student research and improve outcomes through real-world application.
GRIN Awards aim to expose students to fire and fuels managers and deepen their understanding of how management decisions are informed by science. Students are encouraged to develop products or information that are directly useful to these professionals. Projects must enhance existing, funded thesis or dissertation work and demonstrate clear relevance to fire, fuels, or natural resource management.
A central focus of this program is to bridge academic research and practical decision-making. Students are expected to interact with fire managers and incorporate management needs into their research outcomes. The GRIN award offers a unique opportunity to not only strengthen academic work but also make it more actionable in policy and field settings.
Proposals must address at least one key topic area: fuels management and fire behavior, the changing fire environment, emissions and air quality, fire effects and post-fire recovery, impacts of prescribed fire versus wildfire, or the human dimensions of fire. The program emphasizes real-world relevance, encouraging students to align their work with current management challenges and priorities.
The total funding available for the program is $500,000, with each award capped at $25,000. Proposals are only eligible if they supplement an existing graduate thesis or dissertation. Applicants must demonstrate how their work will extend or enhance their current research in a way that benefits fire or resource management.
Eligible applicants include students affiliated with public and private higher education institutions, tribal organizations, nonprofits, and various governmental entities. Proposals will be evaluated based on student qualifications, scientific quality, relevance to decision-makers, contribution to existing research, and project feasibility.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
