Apply for Research Funding

Earthwatch’s overarching goal is to support research projects in the field of, among others, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Ecological Restoration, Urban Resiliency that produce rigorous, relevant, and impactful science, address global change, and actively involve citizen-scientist participants. We distribute requests for proposals (RFPs) annually. We evaluate proposals based on scientific merit, appropriateness of citizen-scientist activities, expected project outcomes and impacts, safety, and logistics.  

Earthwatch funding is intended to be supplemental to other sources of funding. Annual budgets for projects with long-duration teams range between US $20,000–$80,000, with most of that covering volunteer and staff expenses while in the field. Final grants are provided on a per-capita basis based on the number of participants. Research projects are tenable for three years, subject to annual performance review, and may be eligible for renewal beyond that period. 

Earthwatch takes the safety of all people involved in projects we support very seriously. Therefore, we are unable to support research projects in certain regions of the world due to safety concerns, with no exceptions.

All proposals must be submitted by a researcher with a PhD, who is planning to function as the project PI. Degrees must be from an accredited academic institution in the area of study of the proposed project. Graduate students currently working on their PhD may have their faculty advisor submit a proposal for their research. The advisor must be listed and function as the PI of record and maintain all scientific oversight of the research until the student’s doctoral degree is awarded. All submitting researchers must be affiliated with a university, government agency, or science-focused NGO.