The Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon (ASA) is pleased to announce its 2019 Scholarship for Lepidoptera Field Biology.

 

 

ABOUT THE ASA & THE SCHOLARSHIP

 

The Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon (ASA) is a research-focused 501(c)3 non-profit working in the southeastern Peruvian Andes and Amazon. We have ongoing projects spanning Lepidoptera ecology, evolution, natural history, and conservation based at Finca Las Piedras and several other remote field sites throughout Peru’s Cusco and Madre de Dios regions. In particular, we are working to build Lepidoptera site inventories, study species’ immature stages and their host plants, and explore a number of topics in macroecology, community ecology, and diversification.

 

This scholarship is intended to support a student or early-career researcher interested in Lepidoptera and to promote the study of this group in our region. Proposals are invited that span Lepidoptera ecology, evolution, natural history, and/or conservation in southeastern Peru. The field study may last up to six months.

 

 

SCHOLARSHIP PERIOD

Up to 6 months from May 1 – December 20, 2019

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE

February 28, 2019

 

LOCATION

Finca Las Piedras, Madre de Dios, Peru

 

Finca Las Piedras is a 54 ha property covered mostly in intact, upland or ‘terra firme’ rainforest, located about 1 hr north of Puerto Maldonado, the regional capital of Peru’s Madre de Dios region. The site also offers access to regenerating, secondary forest and Mauritia palm swamp habitats. Facilities include shared eating and living areas, laboratory and work space, and 24 hour electricity provided by solar panels. A Lepidoptera site inventory and limited host plant database are also available.

 

WHAT’S COVERED BY THE SCHOLARSHIP?

• Station fees (currently $35 per day), including full room and board (lodging and 3 meals per day), at Finca Las Piedras for the entire scholarship period

• Accommodations are in shared dormitories

• One-time round trip local transportation between Puerto Maldonado, Peru, and the field site is covered

 

WHAT’S NOT COVERED?

• Domestic and international airfare, taxes, fees, travel insurance, etc.

• Field research equipment

• Field assistance

• Research permit fees (including permit application preparation, submission, and translation services offered by the ASA)

 

REQUIREMENTS

• Graduate student or early-career researcher (e.g., postdocs and researchers < 3 years post-PhD) in the USA, Canada, and Latin American countries. Outstanding undergraduate students may also apply.

• Health and/or travel insurance during the entire scholarship period

• Final research report for lay audience

• Copy of peer-reviewed research article(s) submitted within 1 month of publication

 

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit the following documentation to apply for this scholarship:

• Maximum 2-page research proposal including introduction, methods, expected results, and discussion of the relevance of the proposed research to basic knowledge or applied conservation in the Peruvian Amazon. The proposal should detail the study duration and any biological specimens to be collected.

• A current CV, including contact information for two references that can speak to your ability to conduct field research in the tropics.

Please send the above materials as a single PDF file to info@sustainableamazon.org by the application deadline (28 Feb 2019). Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.