Supporting Science Careers and Innovative Research at Member Stations

Participant testimonials

“ Professionally, this funding supported my work to design and implement a field project, expand my expertise in acoustic ecology and analytical tools, and gain valuable experience in applied wildlife research—key skills that will support my future contributions to applied wildlife research and conservation. I am grateful to the Organization of Biological Field Studies for supporting my work through the Maxwell/Hanrahan Research Experience Grant!”

— April Strzelczyk Haverstock, University of Central Oklahoma, Selman Living Lab

“ This funding allowed me to design and lead a field-intensive project, coordinate a team through plot installation and sampling, and begin to integrate ecological monitoring with restoration practice. It has strengthened my skills in experimental design, field logistics, and species identification, and provided valuable experience working across tides and conditions typical of estuarine systems. These skills will be foundational to my dissertation research and my long-term career in marine science and conservation.”

— Briar Ownby-Connolly, Baruch Marine Field Lab, Georgetown, South Carolina  

" The Maxwell/Hanrahan grant made [my research] possible by covering the costs associated with travel and lodging, enabling an extended stay at Black Rock Forest [BRF] and extended data collection. This has also been an unparalleled opportunity to meet and network with scientists outside of academia. Lodging covered by the Maxwell/Hanrahan grant, afforded me an immersive experience at BRF for the duration of the summer and I witnessed the wide variety of post graduate school roles available in the biological sciences." 

— Corina Vernon, Black Rock Forest, Cornwall, New York

There are two OBFS-Maxwell/Hanrahan Grants being offered in 2026.

The Field Biology Research Program

This program supports graduate students or postdoctoral researchers doing field-based science at a field station or marine laboratory (FSML). Thanks to the generosity of a Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation grant, OBFS member stations located anywhere in the world can apply for up to $25,000 USD in funding to support a graduate student field researcher for an established field-based program or supervised field-based research project. The funds can be allocated in one of three ways: five grants of $5,000 each, three grants (or more) of varying amounts, or two grants of $12,500. The number of grants awarded will depend on the quantity and quality of applications received. These funds must be used in 2026.

If your station needs an extra hand on a field-based project, but can’t afford to hire a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher, or there is a researcher at your station whose field-based project needs a graduate or postdoctoral researcher, this could be the opportunity you have been looking for! The selected field station/s will select a graduate student/postdoc via their own internal application process and OBFS will fund the student directly with the grant award. The field station will then provide the graduate/post-doctorate field researcher/s they hire with:

  • A hands-on project, as well as guidance and support, on how to conduct field work responsibly, effectively, and safely.
  • A minimum of 4 weeks of experience working and living at (or near) a field station.

Please review the Rules and Regulations below for more details and if you have any additional questions, email Rhonda Struminger at pastpresident@obfs.org. To apply, please complete the Field Biology Research Grant application by Monday, March 9, 2026 (link below).

Field Biology Research Program Grant Application - Apply Now

The Earth Science Postdoctoral Researcher or Early Career Research Program

This program supports postdoctoral researchers and/or early career scientists doing hands-on Earth science research at a FSML. Thanks to the generosity of a Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation grant, OBFS member stations located anywhere in the world can apply for up to $25,000 to fund research that is NOT graduate-work related.

The funds can be allocated in one of three ways: five grants of $5,000 each, three grants (or more) of varying amounts, or two grants of $12,500. The number of grants awarded will depend on the quantity and quality of applications received. These funds must be used in 2026.

This program is designed to support early career scientists going into the field to make observations, generate new questions, and collect preliminary data that can be used for new proposals. This is for work that is after the terminal degree, not for graduate research. If there is a former graduate student or someone who is considered “early career” and who wants to explore something new at a FSML, this is the program for you! Applying FSMLs will need to identify a candidate who is focusing on an Earth Science (e.g., geology, oceanography, meteorology, archaeology) at their location, and OBFS will fund the researcher directly with the grant award; depending on financial circumstances, the monies may be distributed also to the field station but financing the researcher is the priority. The field station will then provide the post-doctorate researcher or early career scientist with access to the field station as well as any lab spaces and available equipment needed for their work, as would be the case for any other researcher.

Please review the Rules and Regulations below for more details and if you have any additional questions, email Rhonda Struminger at pastpresident@obfs.org. To apply, please complete the Earth Science Program Grant Application form by Monday, March 9, 2026 (link below).

Earth Science Program Grant Application - Apply Now

Rules and Regulations:

  1. The host station must be a member of OBFS in good standing prior to submitting their application (https://www.obfs.org/join-obfs).
  2. OBFS will distribute funds directly to grant recipients in 2026; we may consider splitting the funding between the station and the recipient depending on different scenarios.
  3. The applying station must complete the appropriate application by midnight, Pacific Standard Time, on Monday, March 9, 2026. Applying stations will be asked for:
    • A budget of the costs the researcher will be asked to pay (e.g. housing, food, transportation, lab or equipment fees). Based on submitted budgets, we will work with field stations and recipients to maximize the impact of the monies for the best field research experience possible.
    • The name and relevant qualifications of the project and intended recipient (including their CV):
      • The field science program recipient has to be enrolled in a graduate program and guidance assured for a safe and high quality field research experience.
      • The Earth science program recipient has to be considered “early career” or hired as a postdoctoral researcher studying a subject related to the Earth Sciences, and the research has to be exploratory and new for the scientist.
  4. The host station is responsible for assuring that the researcher has a safe field work experience.
  5. Recipients are asked to present their experience to the OBFS community in a variety of ways:
    • Recipients who can attend the OBFS annual meeting can present their work as a lightning talk or a poster; their project may also be presented during the OBFS programs overview and awards presentation at the annual meeting.
    • All recipients, especially those who cannot attend the annual meeting, can present their work in a Virtual Café or other format, and/or submit an article for the OBFS newsletter.
  6. Recipients will be required to submit a short final report and evaluation upon completion of the field research experience as well as provide photos and text for social media (including the OBFS website).

Timeline:

  • Application deadline:  Monday, March 9, 2026 (Midnight PST)
  • Awardee notification: The week of March 16, 2026
  • Award distribution: March - December, 2026

Questions? Contact Rhonda Struminger, OBFS Past President and OBFS - Maxwell/Hanrahan grant coordinator