International Exploration Grant Applications
To Apply
Email applications within the one month application periods (October 30 - November 30 and April 30 - May 31) to the committee chairs: Patricia Kambesis and Cyndie Walck. At a minimum, applications must include the following sections.
International Exploration Grant Application Required Sections
- Project title
- Applicant name and email
- Executive Summary
- Including description of objectives and anticipated outcomes
- Expedition Narrative to include:
- Background
- Expedition location
- Dates (approximate is fine)
- Personnel (including NSS numbers for NSS member participants)
- Expedition logistics
- Information on permits and permissions (if applicable)
- Special circumstances (e.g. international cooperation or exchange efforts, restrictions on media sharing (such as with National Geographic), etc.) if applicable
- Maps and photos are encouraged but not required
- Expenses to include:
- Itemized budget detailing how NSS funds will be spent
- Other funding sources
Note, as per IRS rules if a grant of more than $600 is awarded to only a single individual, that individual will receive an IRS 1039 income form from the NSS.
Grant Award Criteria Considered
- Number of NSS members participating (also in relation to total number of participants).
- Challenge, complexity and cost of the expedition.
- An expedition focus on cave exploration, survey and documentation/ photodocumentation.
- Overall quality and completeness of the proposal.
- Experience and previous success on international expeditions, including reporting/maps, and the previous fulfillment of grant requirements if applicable.
- Permits acquired, if applicable.
- Reasonable budget expenses
- Other funding sources.
- Cooperation with local partners in country, if applicable
- Efforts to share results with in-country land managers to assist in cave management, if applicable
- If an expedition includes a member of the Committee, that member cannot be the applicant and must abstain from voting on or rating that proposal