External Grants List

PSGB Grants

PSGB offer grants for primate Conservation, Research and Captive Care.  

External Grants 

Please note that although we do our best to provide accurate information on this site, you should always check details such as application dates, processes and eligibility with the granting organisation directly.

Ruggles Gates Fund for Biological Anthropology – open to people of all nationalities and institutions who do not hold a doctorate (but awards are not made for undergraduate projects). Primate-based projects have been funded in previous years. Career stage: early (pre-doctoral).  See website for deadlines.

Emslie Hornimann Anthropological Scholarship Fund – open to UK, Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth citizens who do not hold a doctorate. Could be used to fund fieldwork of broad anthropological interest. Biological anthropologists are encouraged to apply. Career stage: early (pre-doctoral). See website for deadlines. 

NC3Rs Project and Pilot Study Grants – funding primary research addressing each of the 3Rs (reduction, refinement and replacement of animal models in research). PSGB members have been successful in getting grants from NC3Rs. Career stage: mid to advanced.

Leverhulme Trust project grants – funding visionary and challenging primary research that often crosses disciplinary boundaries. PSGB members have been very successful getting these. For project grants, an outline application must be made, which can be submitted at any time. Career stage: early postdoctoral to advanced. Successful outline applicants will be asked to prepare a detailed application, for which the deadlines are 21st March, 1st September and 1st December. 
Leverhulme also funds a variety of other schemes, including international travel and visits from foreign scholars to the UK. 

Royal Society grants – funding a variety of large and small projects. PSGB members have been very successful getting fellowships (for example, Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships) as well as other grants (such as International Exchanges, which support collaboration with overseas scholars). Career stage: early postdoctoral to advanced. Check website for deadlines.

European Research Council – supporting large primary research projects for those at early postdoctoral  to mid career stage (ERC Starting Grants) and advanced stage (Advanced Grants). PSGB members have been successful getting Advanced Grants. See website for deadlines.   

Japan Society for the Promotion of Research – funding short and longer fellowships for collaborative research visits to Japan. Different schemes support scientists at all career levels (including pre-doctoral). PSGB members have been successful in securing funds for collaboration. Deadlines: see website.

Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation – funding small nature conservation / biodiversity projects and pilot studies in developing countries. The schemes support scientists at all career levels. PSGB members have been successful in applying for these grants. Deadlines are ‘responsive’ (applications can be made at anytime, and a decision is normally made within 12 weeks).

National Geographic Global Exploration Fund Northern Europe – open to residents from Northern Europe (including the UK and Republic of Ireland) to work anywhere in the world on field-based projects (primary research, conservation and exploration). All career stages supported. Deadlines are ‘responsive’ (initial applications must be made at least eight months before the anticipated project start date; if invited to full application stage, a full application must be submitted within 120 days).

Daphne Jackson Memorial Fellowships Trust - these fellowships  are aimed at scientists returning to work after a career break. Career stage: postdoctoral. Deadlines are ‘responsive’ with interviews occurring four times a year. 

The Guggenheim Foundation – research grants and dissertation fellowships for scholarly research on problems of violence, aggression, and dominance. All career stages. Deadlines: 1st February (dissertation fellowships); 1st August (research grants).

Fulbright Commission – supporting US / UK exchanges. All  career stages; deadlines variable. 

Human Frontier Science Program –funding frontier research into complex biological systems. Career stages: early postdoctoral to advanced. Check website for upcoming deadlines. 

Fyssen Foundation – funding postdoctoral researchers from France to work overseas and overseas researchers to work in France. Funds animal behaviour research. Deadlines: see website.

Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research – funding doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, fieldworkers and conferences.  All career stages. Deadlines: see website.

The Leakey Foundation - funding funding doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, fieldworkers and conferences.  All career stages. Deadlines: see website.

The Parkes Foundation - an independent grant-making charity that provides funds to help postgraduate students undertaking research in the interdisciplinary field of biosocial science (the interface between biological and social science). Each year, the foundation awards 6-8 small grants (about £600 each) and 1 PhD grant (up to £3000) to help Masters and PhD students conduct research. The Foundation also organises workshops on biosocial research and publishes the proceedings of these meetings. Conservation is covered by the Foundation, and grants have recently been awarded to fund work on bushmeat, human-wildlife interactions and community conservation, but other areas of animal and evolutionary research are not supported. Check website for deadlines.

The grant schemes and funding bodies listed on this page are those that PSGB knows to have supported primate-based projects recently. If you know of other funding bodies and schemes not listed here that support primatology research, please contact the Research Working Party ([email protected]). If you are thinking of applying for one of these grants but would like advice from a fellow PSGB member who has recently received a similar award, please contact [email protected] and the Research Working Party will try and find a contact name for you.