International Exploration Grants
International Exploration Grants support caving expedition teams with shared equipment and group expenses to explore, survey, and document caves internationally and share findings with other cavers.
Funder: National Speleological Society
Due Dates: November 30, 2026 (December awards) | May 31, 2027 (June awards)
Funding Amounts: Shared expedition expenses and equipment; equipment over $400 must support repeated use in multi-trip projects
Summary: Supports international caving expeditions through funding for shared equipment and group expenses, with results shared among cavers.
Key Information: Recipients must share expedition results; specific cave locations may remain private.
Description
The National Speleological Society’s International Exploration Grants support international caving expeditions by funding shared equipment and group expenses. Administered by the International Exploration Committee, the program supports needs such as rope, survey and search-and-rescue gear, guides and porters, permits, in-country group transportation, and group meals. It also supports expensive equipment intended for repeated use across multi-trip projects, rather than single-use expedition purchases.
The program emphasizes cave exploration, survey, and documentation or photodocumentation, alongside sharing results with other cavers. Recipients provide an expedition summary and photographs, and contribute an NSS News article or a presentation at the NSS Convention International Exploration Session. Specific cave locations do not need to be disclosed.
