Funder: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): July 2027 (Full proposal)
Funding Amounts: More than $50,000, generally up to $250,000, for projects lasting up to three years
Summary: Supports treatments, management tools, habitat conservation, and research to help North American bats survive and recover from white-nose syndrome.
Key Information: Each proposal must include a Principal Investigator or collaborator from a land management agency with jurisdiction over proposed field sites.
Description
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, runs the Bats for the Future Fund to reduce the impacts of white-nose syndrome (WNS). The program supports treatments that prevent exposure to Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus responsible for WNS, or improve bats’ ability to withstand disease. It also funds management tools, habitat conservation, and research that translate into improved survival and recovery.
Priorities include implementing treatments, understanding life history to improve conservation opportunities, and developing scalable, durable tools with population-level benefits. Work may address any WNS-susceptible species, with particular attention to northern long-eared bats and Indiana bats. Cross-disciplinary approaches and partnerships that leverage resources are encouraged. The 2026 competition included additional funding specifically for northern long-eared bat recovery.
