These awards are designed to foster the development of research partnerships and projects in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, with a focus on the Galapagos Science Center, a jointly developed and supported facility of UNC-Chapel Hill and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Grants are to UNC faculty to undertake preliminary or exploratory research. Preference will be given to applications from junior faculty and for new project initiatives. The Galapagos Initiative emphasizes interdisciplinary and collaborative research around issues of climate and environmental change, marine productivity and oceanography, island sustainability, One Health, human health and well-being, and data science approaches to biodiversity and conservation.
Grant Funding Opportunity 2024 – 2025
AWARD DETAILS: Most awards will be made for amounts up to $5,000, but we will consider joint applications up to $7,500 for interdisciplinary faculty teams. Awarded funds will be available for use beginning January 1, 2025, and they must be expended during the 2025 calendar year.
ELIGIBILITY: We are seeking applications from across the university. Full-time faculty from all units at UNC-Chapel Hill are eligible to apply for funding. Adjunct faculty, post-docs, and staff should contact the director before applying.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: The project proposal is limited to 3-pages, single-spaced, 12-point font, 0.75-inch margins, and must include the following:
- Project title, research problem & question, and general research
- A clear statement of the applicability of the project to the Galapagos Islands & related island ecosystems.
- Applicant’s current academic position and background relevant to the proposal
- Expected benefits to the UNC Galapagos Initiative & description of plans for external grant
- Budget, justification, timeline (all projects are limited to 12 months); 1-page bio-sketch (extra page).
- Please note that funded seed projects requiring Galapagos National Park permitting (not all do) must plan to prepare their Park permit application immediately upon receipt of the notice of award.
PROPOSAL APPLICATIONS: All proposals are due by December 16th, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Send any questions and proposal submissions to Amanda Thompson, Director; Center for Galapagos Studies; althomps@email.unc.edu Subject: Galapagos 2024-2025 Seed Grant Program.
Research Projects 2023 – 2024
Trophic control of fisheries production in the Galapagos and beyond
People: Janet Ashley Nye
Reducing the dual burden of child malnutrition through double-duty actions
People: Heather Wasser
Exploring the Relationships Between Diet Quality, Farm Access, and Anemia in Galapagos
People: Alfredo Jose Rojas
Research Projects 2022 – 2023
Agri(cultures) of Disease and Climate Adaptation in the Galapagos
People: Caela O’Connell
Native Galapagos wildlife responses to invasive species management and sea-level rise
People: Paul Taillie
The interplay between global change and host-pathogen dynamics
People: Senay Yitbarek
Academic-Practice Partnership for Professional Development (ADAPT)
People: Megan Williams, Ashley Bryant
The Power of Place for Education: An Exploration of Place-Based Learning in the Galapagos
People: Troy Sadler
Movement patterns and habitat use of juvenile scalloped hammerhead sharks
People: Savannah Ryburn, John Bruno
Research Projects 2019 – 2020
Techno-ecological synergies for sustainable energy management in the Galapagos Islands: An analysis of resource and cost
People: Noah Kittner
Temporal and seasonal effects on the composition of plant-associated microbial communities at different microclimates on the Galapagos Islands
People: Elizabeth Shank, Diego Riveros-Iregui
DNA sequencing of Galapagos seaweeds: A critical need to understand the marine biota
People: Todd Vision, Paul Gabrielson
Diabetes prevention and management: Tailoring global models to Galapagos
People: John Buse, Edwin Fisher
Research Projects 2018 – 2019
Timber of agroforestry and sustainability on the island of San Cristóbal
People: Javier Arce-Nazario
Exploring the social and emotional impact of living with type 2 diabetes among adults in Galapagos
People: Clare Barrington, Edwin Fisher
Fostering Educational Mobility and Well-Being on the Galapagos Islands
People: Dana Griffin, David Ansong
Knowledge, Livelihoods, and Marine Spatial planning in the Galapagos Marine Reserve
People: Elizabeth Havice, Gabriela Valdivia
Grass Genomes from the Galapagos: Extending the Ecuadorean Grass Genome Conservation Project
People: Alan Jones, Corbin Jones
Evaluating lithium (Li) isotopes to understand critical zone development in tropical islands: a systematic assessment on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos
People: Xiaoming Liu, Diego Riveros-Iregui
Exploring the frequency and consequences of hybridization between endemic and invasive plant species in the Galapagos islands
People: Todd Vision, Bryan Reatini
Soil Microbial Community Composition across an Elevation Gradient on the Galapagos Islands
People: Elizabeth Shank, Diego Riveros-Iregui
Linking the marine ecosystem to marine aerosols: Field campaign in the Galapagos Islands
People: William Vizuete
Feasibility of home visitation support measures for parenting skills and mental health symptoms in Mothers of Young Children (0-3) in the Galapagos
People: Julee Waldrop, Amanda Thompson
Research Projects 2010 – 2011
Mobility to and within the Galapagos Archipelago
People: Ronald Rindfuss, Kyle Crowder, Margarita Mooney
Economic Growth in the Galapagos Islands: The Development Impacts of Tourism
People: Michele Hoyman
Investigating the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Galapagos Marine Ecosystems
People: John Bruno, Joel Fodrie, Kenneth Lohmann, Brian White
The Paradigm Shift towards Agriculture-as-Conservation in Multifunctional Landscapes
People: Gabriela Valdivia, Aaron Moody
Nutrition, Food Security, and Sustainable Agriculture Opportunities on San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos: A Pilot Assessment
People: Peggy Bentley
Tracking Local and Regional Green Sea Turtle Movement in the Galapagos Islands
People: Kenneth Lohmann
Research Projects 2009 – 2010
Examining aquatic microbial contamination using current and novel methods for water quality analysis in the Galapagos Islands
People: Rachel Noble
Harmonic Tremor on Ocean Island Volcanoes: Quasi-Periodic Vibrations of Active Vents at Cerro Azul and Sierra Negra
People: Jonathan Lees
The Role of Grazers in Linking Intertidal and Subtidal Habitats in the Galapagos Islands
People: John Bruno
Biology and Conservation of Galapagos Sea Turtles
People: Kenneth Lohmann
Research Projects 2008-2009
Nutrition and Health of Mothers and Young Children of Isabela Island, Galapagos: A Pilot Assessment
People: Peggy Bentley
Quantifying the impacts of people on rocky intertidal communities in the Galapagos Islands
People: John Bruno
Ecosystem structure and function at the land-sea interface: a collaborative remote sensing/physical oceanographic study
People: Brian White, Conghe Song
Ecosystem consequences of invasive species control: combining a field experiment with an ecosystem model to support adaptive management of moist-forest ecosystems in the Galapagos Islands
People: Aaron Moody