Third year of program seeking projects conducting science with direct conservation applications to benefit species and ecosystems.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Paul G. Allen Family Foundation are accepting applications for up to $16 million in new funding for projects conducting basic science with direct conservation applications to benefit the preservation of threatened species and ecosystems. This is the third year of grant funding from the first-of-its-kind Partnership to Advance Conservation Science and Practice (PACSP) program, designed to engage deep collaboration between researchers advancing basic science and conservation partners conducting on-the-ground conservation.
"We’re hearing from our first- and second-year grantees that this partnership is uniquely valuable in funding both basic science and conservation applications," said Lara Littlefield, executive director for programs and partnerships at the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. "With the accelerating rate of biodiversity loss, we must continue to address critical knowledge and data gaps and then take real-world action to save species and ecosystems."
Since 2023, the PACSP program has provided a total of $24 million in funding for 16 projects across the nation. To-date, the projects have focused on a range of species, from desert tortoises, Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards, and Crystal skipper butterflies in the first cohort, to grizzly bears, Venus flytraps, and Hawaiian honeycreepers in the second cohort.
"While the focus species and approach of each project might be different, they all address issues that are much bigger than a single species, and are producing new data, models, and technology to advance broader biodiversity conservation solutions," said Susan Marqusee, NSF assistant director for biological sciences. "These projects also build close collaboration between partners, and engage our communities, youth, and other stakeholders in conservation through education and outreach.”
While the grants are funded over a three-year timeline, many grantees from the 2023 cohort already report progress against their conservation goals:
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“The greatest aspiration as a scientist is to make a fundamental discovery and see it translated into some worthwhile impact—so far, we’ve identified several critical cellular mechanisms of the fungus, and are now testing a medication to treat the infection and vaccine to prevent it,” said Bruce Klein, M.D., professor and chief of the pediatric infectious diseases division at University of Wisconsin–Madison who’s studying White Nose Syndrome, a lethal fungal disease decimating several species of North American bats. “This has been a unique career-defining opportunity for me—the confluence of perfect funding opportunities—where I could do basic research and collaborate side-by-side with people who can translate our discoveries into real-life impact.” (Listen to Klein talk more about this project.)
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“We’ve gained a lot of new intel on nesting behaviors of female tortoises and how extreme heatwaves can influence sex ratios in hatchlings,” said Melissa Merrick, Ph.D., associate director of recovery ecology at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, who’s studying desert tortoises’ resilience to climate change. “This discovery gets at the mechanism behind the saying, ‘hot mamas’ and ‘cool daddies’ as it relates to desert tortoise sex determination, meaning temperatures above a critical point tend to produce hatchlings that are a majority female, and temperatures below tend to be male.” (Listen to more.)
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“We surveyed sites on Oahu and Maui, analyzing microbes on plants that snails prefer and plants they avoid, and created a list of microbes we think may form the main components of land snail diets,” said Wallace Meyer, Ph.D., director of the Bernard Field Station and associate professor at Pomona College who’s advancing conservation for endangered Hawaiian land snails. “Following feeding experiments in the lab, we hope to provide our conservation partners with the information needed to assess which wild habitats have the best microbes for snail survival, and to culture these microbes in the lab to feed the most vulnerable species.” (Listen to more.)
Applications for PACSP funding are open to organizations which include institutions of higher education and/or non-profit, non-academic organizations and 501(c)3 conservation partners. The application deadline is March 17, 2025, and awards are anticipated to be announced in the summer. To apply, please visit the PACSP program page.
The NSF will also host an informational, virtual session for prospective applicants. Watch the PACSP program page for updates. The full list of awarded projects from 2023 and 2024 can also be found on the program page.
Download media materials, photos and videos HERE.
About U.S. National Science Foundation
The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a Fiscal Year 2024 budget of $9.06 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.
About the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
Founded in 1988 by philanthropists Jody Allen and the late Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, the foundation works to enhance the arts and culture experience, mobilize young people to drive change, and advance science and technology solutions that address wildlife conservation, ocean health and climate change. The foundation also funds cutting-edge research in all areas of bioscience though the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group.