Kevin Kritz Research Grant

The Kevin J. Kritz Memorial Research Grant is an annual funding opportunity managed by the Raptor Research Foundation. It supports field research focused on eagle biology and conservation, with eligibility open to researchers working anywhere around the world. This grant honors the legacy of Kevin Kritz (1959–2022), a lifelong raptor biologist and conservationist who dedicated his career to safeguarding birds of prey through his roles with the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The grant was established in 2023 by Kevin’s family in memory of his devotion to raptor protection, high ethical standards, and passion for scientific rigor. The purpose of the Kevin Kritz Research Grant is to enable meaningful contributions to eagle research and conservation through direct financial support. With a specific emphasis on projects addressing the ecology, behavior, management, or preservation of eagles, the grant allows researchers to conduct field studies in a wide range of global contexts. The fund recognizes Kevin’s particular affection for eagles and his enduring legacy as a voice for their protection. The program awards up to $5,000 to one recipient annually. In addition to the monetary support, the selected grantee receives waived page charges for publishing the resulting research in the Journal of Raptor Research. The paper must be authored primarily by the recipient and must reflect the funded project. While the grant is globally inclusive, applications must be submitted in English; however, editorial support may be available for non-native English speakers to ensure that applicants are evaluated on scientific merit rather than language proficiency. Applications are submitted online, with the annual window opening in January and closing on June 30th. To apply, individuals must provide a cover letter outlining their motivation, objectives, and anticipated results; a curriculum vitae; and a proposal not exceeding five pages. The proposal must include a background and justification section, study objectives and methods, a detailed budget, a list of other requested and received funding sources, expected results, and a bibliography (limited to one page). Applicants must also upload a photo, ideally in the field, for use in the announcement of the award. Applications are reviewed competitively, with emphasis placed on scientific rigor and the potential conservation impact of the project. The grant seeks to support projects that reflect the values Kevin Kritz championed—field-based conservation, high research standards, and practical outcomes. The program is expected to recur annually, with the next cycle opening in January 2027. Past recipients have conducted work on the space use and diet of Black-and-chestnut Eagles in Argentina and flight behavior studies of Short-toed Eagles in Israel, demonstrating the grant’s broad geographic reach and flexible research scope. Applicants may direct questions to [email protected].