Duke Lemur Center Director’s Fund
Intent of Award
The DLC is committed to funding research! To help researchers utilize our living laboratory and BioBank, especially given the NSF budget cuts and uncertainty with federal funding, we have revised our Director’s Fund award so that we can fund as many proposals as possible in 2025/2026. Successful awards will provide funds for new studies, with an emphasis on novel and innovative research and/or pilot data. The monies must be used for research conducted at the Duke Lemur Center with the living, fossil, or tissue-bank collections.
Awards of up to $6,000 are available for graduate, postdoc, and early-career faculty researchers. Allowable budget items no longer include external expenses for analysis, supplies, or equipment. Allowable budget items are animal-use or other collection-related fees. The award does not support previously incurred DLC research fees, tuition, salary, or stipends. Funds are expected to be used within one year, although an extension can be requested. Please only request the amount necessary.
The DLC Director’s Fund Review Committee will do a merit review of all submissions and award monies based upon this and the number and scope of submitted proposals. Preference will be given to researchers who have not received a Director’s Fund award in the past.
Application Deadlines
March 15 (award start date of April 1)
September 30 (award start date of October 15)
How to Apply
Applications should be made directly to DLC Director of Research Dr. Erin Ehmke (erin.ehmke@duke.edu).
Applications should consist of:
CV/resume: Maximum of one page, including current position and affiliation.
Project Proposal: Proposals should be no longer than three single spaced pages (excluding references, figures, tables, and budget). Successful proposals will include an abstract, a description of the applicant’s research and its significance to the field, proposed methods, and any preliminary data.
Anticipated Outcomes: Please provide a brief description (one to two paragraphs) of anticipated outcomes, emphasizing opportunities for extramural grant support and/or publication avenues
Detailed Budget: budgets should cover the full project, therefore including funds already secured or still needed from elsewhere. Applicants should also estimate, and justify, a minimum amount required for a successful project if the total budget cannot be secured (because it is possible that an application will be funded partially). In preparing your application, please reach out to erin.ehmke@duke.edu to request a quote for your proposed research to ensure your budget is accurate.
Please compile documents into one PDF file.
Award Reporting
A final report must be submitted at the completion of the 12-month award period itemizing how the funds were used and summarizing research activity with preliminary results included. All publications that result from the supported research should acknowledge support from the Duke Lemur Center and, as always, include a DLC publication number.
Molly Glander Award
The Molly Glander Award was established to encourage and support involvement of undergraduate students in research projects at the DLC. Grants will be awarded to undergraduate students who are engaged in an approved research project at the DLC, with priority given to Duke University students. Eligible students must have an approved protocol, a submitted protocol, or must be approved to work under an approved professor’s protocol. A one-time award of $300-$500 can be used to cover DLC research fees, project supplies, and/or equipment. Please contact the DLC Director of Research (Dr. Erin Ehmke, erin.ehmke@duke.edu) for an application and more information.
Other funding opportunities
- Duke Undergraduate Research Support – URS Grants are provided to help defray research expenses of up to $400 for Duke University Trinity and Pratt students enrolled in faculty-supervised independent study courses. Please go to undergraduateresearch.duke.edu for more information.
- National Science Foundation: nsf.gov
- National Institute of Health: nih.gov
- The Leakey Foundation: leakeyfoundation.org
- The Wenner-Gren Foundation: wennergren.org
- American Association of Physical Anthropologists: physanth.org/career/funding-sources
- American Society of Primatologists: asp.org/grants
- International Primatological Society: internationalprimatologicalsociety.org/funding.cfm
