2009 Denali NP Research Fellowship Programs

AAI just received this email from Denali National Park:

The National Park Service and the Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) have extended the application period for two research fellowships that are available to individuals wishing to conduct research in Denali National Park and Preserve and other arctic and subarctic Alaska national parks. The Discover Denali Research Fellowship is for research in or near Denali, and the Murie Science and Learning Center Fellowship is for research taking place in Denali or other arctic or subarctic Alaska national parks.

The deadline for both fellowship applications is now February 20, 2009. The selections are expected to be made soon after March 1, 2009. The fieldwork of fellowship recipients must be arranged before September 1, 2009.

The Discover Denali and the MSLC Fellowship Programs are open to undergraduate and graduate students, college and university faculty, state and federal agency scientists, and private-sector researchers. Proposals for research that will help managers make decisions about critical resource issues are particularly encouraged. A typical fellowship grant is expected to be around $3,000 – $3,500; however, proposals for up to $5,000 will be considered. If an applicant wants to be considered for both funding sources, only one application is needed.

This is the second year that the Murie Science and Learning Center research funds will be available to researcher-applicants whose studies help managers in all of the parks that are partners with the MSLC: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Denali National Park and Preserve, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve, Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and Yukon – Charley Rivers National Preserve. A total of approximately 3-6 fellowships may be funded in 2009.

This is the fourth year that the Discover Denali Research Fellowship Program has been available for researchers. It is projected that 3-5 projects may be funded in 2009. Any previous fellow may reapply, but is not assured of additional funding.

An information guide about either of the fellowship programs, which includes specifics on how to apply and other information helpful to the application process, may be downloaded from www.nps.gov/dena/naturescience/discodena.htm. For more information contact Denali’s Research Administrator Lucy Tyrrell at (907) 683-6352 or lucy_tyrrell@nps.gov.

The Discover Denali Fellowship Program is made possible through proceeds from Discover Denali, an MSLC program developed in partnership between the Denali Education Center and the National Park Service. The Discover Denali program helps Royal Celebrity participants learn about Denali’s natural and human history. The Murie Science and Learning Center Fellowship Program is made possible through the proceeds of the Center’s many education programs.

The Murie Science and Learning Center provides research, discovery, and learning opportunities within arctic and subarctic Alaska National Parks to promote appreciation and caring for our national and cultural heritage. The Denali Education Center seeks to connect people to Denali through research, education, and communication.