Waitt Grants Program Application
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About the Program
The National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants Program, an initiative of the National Geographic Society and the Waitt Institute for Discovery, helps qualified and experienced individuals launch the most difficult stage of a project for which to secure funding—the search. Grants are made for exploratory fieldwork that holds promise for new breakthroughs in the natural and social sciences. NGS/Waitt Grants applications are processed throughout the year and grants are awarded expeditiously to help researchers take advantage of immediate opportunities.
Funded through a five-year grant from the Waitt Family Foundation, the NGS/Waitt Grants Program is administered by National Geographic Mission Programs and makes approximately one hundred grants annually of $5,000 to $15,000. Proposals are considered as they are received and awards are made within weeks of application.
The Waitt Grants Program upholds rigorous standards of review and scientific merit, but does not shy away from risky or unproven ideas. In that spirit, NGS/Waitt Grants support projects at the cutting edge of technology and research. The Program encourages applicants to think big—but travel light—as they look toward new frontiers around the globe. Grants are made to explorers and scientists in research fields such as biology, anthropology, and the geosciences who are working across disciplines and reacting quickly to field opportunities.
New Dimension to National Geographic Grant-Making
National Geographic has a rich history of grant-making that dates back to the Society's earliest days. The NGS/Waitt Grants Program allows the Society to target nascent initiatives and untested concepts that may have trouble finding funding through traditional sources. Where time is short and the stakes are high, NGS/Waitt Grants can ensure that opportunities for discovery are undertaken.
About the Waitt Institute for Discovery
Part of the Waitt Family Foundation, the Waitt Institute for Discovery helps facilitate major discoveries that will improve understanding of humanity's past, provide better opportunities for people in the present, and enhance the promise of the future. By supporting leading scientists and communicating the progress and process of discovery, the Waitt Institute for Discovery educates and motivates a wide audience to work together to promote a better future.
The Waitt Family Foundation was founded in 1993 by Ted Waitt, founder and Chairman of Gateway, Inc. and a member of National Geographic Society's Council of Advisors. One of America's 50 most generous philanthropists, Ted's commitment to science, exploration, and charity also includes his foundation's support of the Society's Genographic Project and the discovery and translation of the Gospel of Judas.
Learn More about the Waitt Institute for Discovery
The NGS/Waitt Grants Program is a collaboration of the National Geographic Society and the Waitt Institute for Discovery, and is made possible by a grant from the Waitt Family Foundation.
