Applications Open for 2010 Research Fellowships in Denali and other Alaska National Parks

AAI just received the following email from Denali National Park:

The National Park Service and the Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) are seeking applicants for two research fellowships that are available to individuals wishing to conduct research in Denali National Park and Preserve and other national parks in Alaska. 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 Discover Denali and the MSLC Fellowship Programs are designed to assist undergraduate and graduate students, but may be appropriate for 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.

The deadline for both fellowship applications is February 1, 2010 and a decision is expected to be made soon after March 1, 2010. The fieldwork of fellowship recipients must be arranged before September 1, 2010.

This is the third 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 3-6 fellowships may be funded in 2010.

This is the fifth year that the Discover Denali Research Fellowship has been available for researchers. It is projected that 2-4 projects may be funded in 2010. Any previous fellow may reapply, but is not assured of additional funding.

An information guide about either of the fellowships, 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 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 educates Royal Celebrity Tours participants about Denali’s natural and human history. The Denali Education Center seeks to connect people to Denali through research, education, and communication.

The Murie Science and Learning Center Fellowship is made possible through the proceeds of the Center’s many education programs offered by Alaska Geographic in partnership with the National Park Service. The MSLC was established in the spirit of the Natural Resource Challenge, a National Park Service initiative aimed at increasing research and education efforts in our national parks. As part of its mission to connect people with their public lands, Alaska Geographic provides partial staffing and funding for the MSLC operations.