The Oklahoma Ornithological Society’s Special Projects awards provide funding to students at any level, faculty researchers, and individuals or civic groups proposing to do work that aligns with our general mission to promote the “observation, study, and conservation” of birds in Oklahoma.

Proposals will be judged by a committee of OOS members who will rank overall merit based on professionalism of presentation, articulation of the question or need the proposal addresses, and significance of the work to Oklahoma ornithology. To apply, prepare a written proposal in MS Word, double-spaced, using 11-pt or larger font, and with a maximum length of 3 pages (not including lit cited and budget).  Present the information in the following order:

• name, institution, and contact information for the applicant

• title

• introduction and justification

• clear statement of objectives

• study area and methods description

• anticipated results

• literature cited

• itemized budget of expenses for which the funds will be used
   

Due to generous donations from the Jerome Westheimer Family Foundation and Janis Blanton, grant awards have increased. The OOS executive board has approved that Special Projects can now award 2-4 grants for an annual accumulative total of $4000. Applicants may request support in any amount up to $2000 (generally between $500 and $2000 is preferred). The submission deadline is March 1st, 2025, with decisions by April 15th, 2025.  

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Proposals should be sent as an email attachment to Don Glass, at donglass0534@gmail.com or dglass@rsu.edu

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The membership of the Oklahoma Ornithological Society invests a significant proportion of the annual budget in its commitment to fund Special Projects.  Applicants who receive Special Projects funding for research projects are expected to prepare a manuscript of the work for publication in the Society’s journal, the Bulletin of the Oklahoma Ornithological Society and/or deliver a presentation of the work as part of the scientific program at our Fall Annual Meeting, usually held in October. Recipients of funding for non-research projects are expected to summarize their projects in a submission to our newsletter, The Scissortail, and are also invited to deliver a presentation at an annual fall meeting.

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