Highlands Biological Station · Research
Grants-in-Aid of Research
Residency awards supporting field-based research in the Southern Appalachians since the 1960s.
A cornerstone of regional science
Since the 1960s, the Grants-in-Aid of Research (GIA) program at Highlands Biological Station has supported field-based research in the Southern Appalachians. Originally launched with funding from the National Science Foundation, the program is now sustained by the Highlands Biological Foundation, including several endowed scholarships.
Each year, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty from across the U.S. and around the world, apply for residency awards ranging from 1 to 14 weeks. Recipients gain access to world-class research facilities, unique biodiversity, and an inspiring network of fellow scientists. Vetted by the HBS Board of Scientific Advisors each spring, GIA awards have supported hundreds of graduate theses and contributed to thousands of scientific publications.
The award at a glance
Spend your field season with us
Residency duration
Request 1 to 14 continuous weeks in residence at HBS. Extensions beyond September 30 are possible with prior approval. Residency is required for all awardees — being on-site promotes meaningful collaboration and active contribution to our academic community.
Who can apply
Faculty and postdoctoral researchers; graduate students; and undergraduates conducting independent research (e.g., an Honors Thesis) under faculty supervision.
GIA funding may also be used by faculty, postdocs, or graduate students to help offset the costs of undergraduate research assistants.
Award amounts
Funding is based on your length of residency: $350 per week for undergraduate & graduate students, and $450 per week for postdocs & faculty.
Awards are pro-rated by the number of full weeks completed in residence. If your stay is shortened, your award is adjusted accordingly.
What’s included
Free lab/bench or office space, use of Station equipment and facilities, and networking opportunities with fellow researchers.
Housing is not included in the award, but on-site accommodations are available at affordable rates. Learn more about housing.
Submit by March 1
How to apply
Send your materials as a single PDF to both the Associate Director and the Executive Director. Applications are reviewed by the HBS Board of Scientific Advisors, with funding decisions finalized by the HBS Board of Directors. Selected proposals may also receive support from one of our endowed scholarships.
What to submit
- Completed Application Cover Sheet
- Signed application materials and research proposal
- Letter(s) of support, if applicable
Grants are typically distributed in 2–3 installments by check: the first on arrival, and the final after your Final Report is submitted and approved.
Before you arrive
Additional GIA information
Permits
Like all researchers, Grant-in-Aid awardees are expected to secure the appropriate Federal or State permits to conduct research in the nearby National Forests or National Parks. A permit from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission may be required as well. Researchers are expected to provide copies of all required permits to HBS prior to commencing their research.
IACUC
In accordance with Federal law, awardees and other researchers planning any work involving vertebrates at HBS must have an IACUC application approved by the HBS Animal Use & Care Committee before undertaking their research. We recognize that researchers working with vertebrates go through the IACUC process at their home institution; however, HBS cannot accept other institutions’ approved ACUC applications and is responsible for requiring an IACUC application specific to research based at or supported by HBS. Applications should be submitted at least 2 months before the anticipated start of research to allow for committee review. Downloadable IACUC Application.
Final Project Report
At the conclusion of GIA-supported projects, a Final Project Report is required to help HBS gauge research activity and progress. The final grant installment is typically not issued until the report is received and approved. Final Report & Cover Sheet Instructions — submit the cover sheet and report as a single PDF to Jason Love (jlove@wcu.edu) or Jim Costa (costa@wcu.edu).
Data Management Policy
GIA awardees are expected to adhere to the HBS Data Management Policy for Researchers.
Acknowledgement & research products
Awardees are asked to acknowledge their HBS research support explicitly in the acknowledgements or financial-support section of all publications stemming from their work at the Station, including theses, dissertations, and scientific papers, and to promptly send HBS PDFs of those publications — and consider sending a print copy of a thesis or dissertation to the E. E. Reinke Library. More than academic etiquette, such acknowledgement helps HBS gauge the impact of the GIA program and document scientific productivity for university reporting, grant proposals, and more.
A mark of distinction
Endowed awards in support of GIA research
The HBS Board of Scientific Advisors may elect to fund highly meritorious GIA proposals in the name of one of the Station’s endowed awards. These do not provide additional stipends at present, but represent a mark of distinction for selected proposals.
Thelma Howell Memorial Scholarship
“Doc” Howell served with distinction as Executive Director of the Station. Upon her death in 1979, the Highlands Biological Foundation established a scholarship fund in her memory in support of investigators at HBS.
William Chambers Coker Fellowship
Dr. W. C. Coker, Professor of Botany at UNC, served as the Station’s second Director. Through a 1983 bequest by his wife, Louise V. Coker, the fellowship is awarded annually for an outstanding proposal involving research with plants or fungi.
Ralph M. Sargent Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Ralph Sargent, Professor of English at Haverford College, was a naturalist, botanist, and conservationist with a long association with the Station. Upon his death in 1985, a scholarship was established by his family and friends to support students researching at HBS.
Lindsay S. Olive Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Lindsay Olive of UNC Chapel Hill was a distinguished botanist and mycologist. Established in 1993 and sustained by generous gifts, the scholarship is awarded annually to a student whose research reflects Dr. Olive’s botanical and mycological interests.
Bruce Family Scholarship in Herpetology
Dr. Richard C. Bruce served as Executive Director, assisted by his wife Elizabeth. In 1997 they established a scholarship supporting graduate students and early-career postdocs in southern Appalachian herpetology.
Martina Wadewitz Haggard Memorial Scholarship
Established in 2005 in memory of Martina Wadewitz Haggard of Asheville, who assisted Doc Howell in the early 1960s, helped establish the Botanical Garden, and long served the Foundation’s board.
Ray Semlitsch Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Ray Semlitsch of the University of Missouri taught the Conservation Biology of Amphibians course at HBS from 2000 to 2013. After his death in 2015, family, students, and colleagues established the scholarship for southern Appalachian herpetology.
Ready to apply?
Join the Station’s thriving research community for your next field season. Download the application, and reach out to jlove@wcu.edu or costa@wcu.edu with any questions.
Highlands Biological Station · Western Carolina University