Funder: Smithsonian Institution
Due Dates (Anticipated): September 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: 2026–2027: US$45,000 total for one or more proposals; requests up to US$45,000; up to 12 months
Summary: Supports early-career fish biologists conducting field research on living Neotropical deep-reef fishes at depths of 40–300 meters.
Key Information: Applicants need a primary advisor and co-advisor, including at least one STRI staff scientist.
Description
The D. Ross Robertson Research Award, administered by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), supports early-career fish biologists studying living deep-reef fishes anywhere in the Neotropics. Its scope includes all aspects of the biology of fishes found at depths of 40–300 meters. The endowment prioritizes research creativity and productivity and encourages collaborative projects involving STRI and the Division of Fishes at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH).
The award funds fieldwork rather than a stipend or related laboratory research. Research need not take place in Panama, and awardees are not required to use STRI facilities. Visits to STRI during the award are encouraged.
