Funder: American Philosophical Society
Due Dates: November 2, 2026 (Application and supporting materials)
Funding Amounts: Ordinarily several hundred dollars to about $5,000 for travel and related field expenses
Summary: Supports doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and junior scientists conducting field studies on the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life.
Key Information: Applicants must meet U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or institutional-affiliation requirements; applicants based outside the United States are excluded.
Description
The American Philosophical Society (APS), NASA Astrobiology Program, and Green Bank Observatory offer these grants for field studies exploring the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth and in the universe. The program combines the former Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology with the Baruch Blumberg Grants in Astrobiology.
Supported research may examine the geologic and fossil record of early Earth, contemporary terrestrial environments resembling early Earth or potentially habitable settings on Mars, Europa, or Titan, and life in extreme natural environments. Relevant disciplines include astronomy, chemistry, evolutionary biology, field and population biology, geology, microbiology, molecular biology, oceanography, paleontology, and planetary science. The grants support fieldwork for theses or other research purposes.
