The Desert Tortoise Council provides grants and funding to individuals, students, and organizations for projects and programs aimed at providing scientific research, management, and conservation actions that benefit desert tortoise populations and their habitats. The Council’s Grants and Academic Funding Committee oversees the evaluation of grant proposals and requests for the funding opportunities listed below.
Open Opportunities
Leeward Renewable Energy Research Grant
Consists of a monetary award to help support research that examines aspects of desert tortoise ecology that may be influenced by solar energy development, such as population connectivity and anthropogenic barriers, use of wildlife crossing structures by tortoises, restoration of tortoise habitat on solar project sites, control of subsidized predators at solar projects, design of solar projects that allows occupation by tortoises, or other related research questions. The award amount is US $2,500.
Regular Grants Program
This program funds activities and research that benefit desert tortoises and/or their habitats, provide information or service to the public, or address other appropriate conservation issues.
Edison International Funding
The Grants Committee recently released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the following opportunity: Innovations for Improvement/Restoration of Desert Tortoise Foraging Habitat.
David J. Morafka Memorial Research Award
The David J. Moraka Memorial Research Award was established in memory of the late Dr. David J. Morafka, distinguished herpetologist and authority on North American tortoises. The Morafka Award supports research that contributes to the understanding, management, and conservation of tortoises of the genus Gopherus in the southwestern United States and Mexico: G. agassizii, G. morafkai, G. evgoodei, G. berlandieri, and G. flavomarginatus. The award amount is US $2,500.
Glenn R. Stewart Student Travel Fund
The Glenn R. Stewart Travel Fund honors the DTC’s co-founder. This Fund supports students working with North American Gopherus tortoises by assisting with travel costs to attend and participate in the Desert Tortoise Council Symposia. The Fund will support up to US $500 (each) in travel costs for up to two students annually.
Linda J. Allison Memorial Grant
The Desert Tortoise Council recently established the Linda J. Allison Memorial Grant. Applications will be accepted for research that (1) investigates the demography of tortoises in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico (i.e., Gopherus agassizii, G. morafkai, G. evgoodei, G. berlandieri, and G. flavomarginatus), (2) conducts robust statistical analysis/modeling of population data with quality control/validation, and (3) contributes to the understanding, management, and conservation of tortoises. The award amount is US $2,500.