Grants-in-Aid

History and Mission

The Grants-in Aid Committee was formed in 1971 (Gill and Wozencraft, 1994) to enhance and support graduate research by identifying and funding research proposals pertaining to mammals. Additionally, this committee nominates the outstanding graduate students that best meet the conditions and criteria set forth for the American Society of Mammalogists Fellowship and the Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship.

2012 Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship Recipient

The Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student in recognition of current accomplishments in Mammalogy and future potential.  Albert R. Shadle was a prominent mammalogist active in the first half of the 20th century that focused on the biology of porcupines and beavers.  Both Albert and his wife Alma had a strong commitment to the science of Mammalogy. The fellowship is intended to allow the recipient greater freedom to pursue research and to recognize excellence in Mammalogy.  This year the award was $4,346.  In addition, the Shadle Fellow receives a set of ASM Special Publications and Mammalian Species.

The 2012 recipient of the Shadle Fellowship was Christian Miguel Pinto Baez of the American Museum of Natural History and City University of New York.  He is author of 13 scientific papers, either published or in press, in journals such as Infection, Genetics and Evolution; Molecular Biology and Evolution; Emerging Infectious Diseases and Journal of Parasitology to name only a few.  Mr. Pinto has funded his research through grants, awards and fellowships from the United Nations Development Program, World Bank, and World Health Organization, a Grant-in-Aid of Research and a Latin American Student Research Award from ASM, the Robert Packard Award from the Texas Society of Mammalogists, and an Annette Kade Fellowship from the American Museum of Natural History.  Mr. Pinto has been a member of ASM since 2006 and is a life member of the Society.  He was a student member of the Board of Directors from 2007 to 2010.

Mr. Pinto submitted a research proposal entitled “Evolution of Bat-Trypanosome Associations and the Origins of Chagas Disease.” In order to dissect multiple levels of evolutionary relationships among bats and their trypanosomes, his research will use 3 interrelated approaches: 1) a population genetics approach to species delimitation of mammalian trypanosomes using DNA sequence data of multiple loci; 2) a combination of phylogenetics and historical biogeography of bat trypanosomes to estimate the timing and  geographic source of T. cruzi; and 3) a molecular evolutionary perspective on the immunogenetic adaptations of bats to trypanosome infections. Results will elucidate key elements of bat and trypanosome biology that could be applied to other host-parasite systems, specifically evolutionary and biogeographic origins of a pathogen, and genetics adaptations of mammalian host to fight parasites.

2012 ASM Fellowship Recipient

The ASM Fellowship is the highest award made to a graduate student member of our Society.  The award is intended to recognize current accomplishments in Mammalogy, service to ASM, as well as the potential for a productive, future role in professional Mammalogy.  This year the award is $15,000.  In addition, the fellowship recipient will receive a set of ASM Special Publications and Mammalian Species.

The recipient of the 2012 ASM fellowship was Ryan Long of Idaho State University.  Mr. Long is author of 10 published or in-press scientific papers in Journals such as Ecological Modeling, Journal of Wildlife Management, Rangeland Ecology and Management, and 2 papers in the Journal of Mammalogy.  He has funded his research through 6 grants totaling over $210,000 from the Department of Energy, the Berryman Institute, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to name only a few.  He received an EPA STAR Fellowship, and an ASM Student Honorarium among other awards.  Mr. Long has been a member of ASM since 2002 and was a member of the Resolutions Committee from 2005-2010.  He has presented his research at professional conferences 27 times, 5 times at ASM meetings.

Mr. Long submitted a research proposal entitled “Linking Climatic Variability to Behavior and Fitness in Herbivores: A Bioenergetic Approach.”  This research will address how behavioral choices made by large herbivores influence energy balance and fitness -- one of the most significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of the ecology of large herbivores. He will use a novel bioenergetic approach to assess effects of the thermal environment on variability in behavior, energetics, and fitness of a keystone species. Research is being conducted in 2 ecosystems with markedly different climatic regimes, vegetation associations, and topographies. This comparative approach will allow elucidation of the mechanistic underpinnings of relationships among climate, behavior, and fitness of large herbivores, and will provide important clues about how these mammals might alter their behavior in response to rising global temperatures.


 

Chair

R. D. Stevens (rstevens@lsu.edu)

Members

J. Boyles, R. M. Brigham, B. Butler, L. N. Carraway, C. J. Conroy, T. L. Derting, J. W. Dragoo, J. A. Esselstyn, K. E. Galbreath, S. Gehrt, J. R. Goheen, G. D. Hartman, V. Hayssen, C. Himes, S. R. Hoofer, D. M. Kaufman, J. L. Koprowski, H. C. Lanier, J. Light, S. C. Loeb, K. Lyons, K. Mabry, B. McMillan, M. Matocq, M. L. McKnight, E. C. Oaks, D. K. Odell, B. Pasche, D. Post, A. W. Reed, D. M. Reeder, T. E. Roberts, R. K. Rose, K. C. Rowe, R. L. Schooley, P. T. Stapp, , K. D. Stone, H. H. Thomas

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAMMALOGISTS FELLOWSHIP IN MAMMALOGY

A single graduate fellowship in mammalogy is provided annually by the Board of Directors of ASM at the recommendation of the Grants-in-Aid Committee. The amount of the award for the academic year 2010-2011 has been set at $10,000, and also will include a set of the available ASM Special Publications. The fellowship is intended to recognize current accomplishments in mammalogy, service to ASM, and the potential for a productive, future role in professional mammalogy. Applicants may be any graduate student members of ASM enrolled at a college or university for the forthcoming academic year and engaged in research in mammalogy. See the grants page for current application, instructions, and submission dates.

ALBERT R. AND ALMA SHADLE FELLOWSHIP IN MAMMALOGY

A single graduate fellowship in mammalogy is provided annually by the Albert R. and Alma Shadle Endowment Fund. The award is made by the Buffalo Foundation at the recommendation of the Grants-in-Aid Committee of ASM. Generally, the award is approximately $4,000-4,500. In addition, a set of ASM Special Publications and Mammalian Species will be presented to the Shadle Fellow. The fellowship is intended to promote a professional career in mammalogy by allowing the recipient greater freedom to pursue research, but is not a grant in support of a specific research project. Applicants must be enrolled as graduate students in a college or university in the United States and be engaged in research in any area of mammalogy. See the grants page for current application, instructions, and submission dates.

GRANTS-IN-AID OF RESEARCH

Awards are made available by the Board of Directors of the Society in amounts not to exceed $1500.00 (US) to graduate and upper-level undergraduate students who are members of the Society at the time of application. Awards primarily will be for support of field or laboratory work in any area of mammalogy, or for the purchase of supplies and small items of equipment related to such research. See the grants page for current application, instructions, and submission dates.