Biota Awards Postdoctoral Fellowships

About this program

Walder Foundation’s Biota Awards provides two-year grants to outstanding early-career researchers conducting work to protect, understand, and restore biodiversity in the Chicago region and beyond, with emphasis on research that informs conservation action and delivers on-the-ground results. In 2025 (and for recent cycles) the program is focused on supporting postdoctoral fellows, with each recipient funded over two years to address key conservation challenges across diverse landscapes. Applicants must be early-career/postdoctoral researchers based in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois with a meaningful connection to the Chicago region, and propose projects with clear conservation application and measurable impact. Applications are typically competitive and prioritize projects that translate research outcomes into practical conservation outcomes.