Student Support

group photo of students
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability junior student retreat.

WMRC Graduate Student Mini-Grant Program

The UC White Mountain Research Center has granted over $140,000 in graduate student research awards since 2008.

WMRC is pleased to offer modest mini-grants in support of original graduate student research, UCLA senior undergraduate in Geography research, and/or UCLA-IoES or UCLA-AISC undergraduate faculty-supervised research during 2025. Grants of $500 to $1000 will be awarded on a competitive basis to offset the cost of meals (when offered) and lodging at one or more of the WMRC research stations (Owens Valley, Crooked Creek, Barcroft). No travel funds are available. Funds will not cover research costs (i.e. colleague or human subjects’ room and board). Prior awardees are eligible, but proposals must define progress to date. The number of awards given out is limited. Applications will be available in December 2024.


Mary DeDecker Botanical Grant

The California Native Plant Society, Bristlecone Chapter awards those with local based botany projects on an annual basis. Request for Proposals for the CA Native Plant Society Bristlecone Chapter Mary DeDecker Botanical Grants are due January, 17th 2025.

Grants are for research and projects that increase the understanding and appreciation of native plants and ecosystems in the Eastern Sierra and are available to graduate students, college students, and primary and secondary students (K-12). Research projects need not be academic or scholarly but must be relevant to the native plants of the northern Mojave Desert, Sierra Nevada, and Great Basin portions of eastern California. Projects should be conducted at least in part within Inyo or Mono Counties.

Grant recipients generally receive up to $1,500 each for expenses and are asked to present their results to the Bristlecone Chapter either at a regular meeting or in the chapter newsletter.


NRS Field Science Fellowship

The NRS Field Science Fellowship provides financial support to UC undergraduate-faculty teams conducting scientific research in the field at NRS reserves. The fellowships enable students to focus on gaining valuable hands-on research experience under the guidance of a faculty researcher. Each $6,000 award consists of a $5,000 student stipend and $1,000 to cover project costs. A maximum of $24,000 will be awarded annually.


The Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant Program

The Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant Program is now open to all Graduate Students currently enrolled at any of the University of California campuses who wish to work at a UC Natural Reserve System site, including WMRC. There are no restrictions on the research topic, and students from all academic disciplines are strongly encouraged to apply. The maximum individual grant is $3,000, and the limit on total awards is $38,000.


Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve Graduate Student Research Grants

Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve Graduate Student Research Grants are available for work in the Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve and the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Labs (SNARL). (for information see vesr.ucnrs.org)

California Desert Research Fund

The California Desert Research Fund supports graduate student research that contributes to the understanding and conservation of desert parks, wildernesses, and other ecologically significant open spaces in the California Desert in San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, and Imperial Counties. See the California Desert Research Fund home page at www.thecommunityfoundation.net