THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION — grant history
Latest income
£220k
Grants listed (FY2024)
16
Listed grants total
£139k
Accounts grants total
£83k
listed grants do not fully reconcile with the accounts total — list may be partialextracted from its FY2024 accounts
Application guidance — from the funder’s own website
- How to apply: Applications are submitted via downloadable forms with guidelines. The funder does not accept unsolicited applications for general grants; specific schemes like the Summer Placement Scheme require the student to submit the application and be supported by a host organisation.
- Deadlines: The Career Development Bursary deadline for 2027 awards is 30 October 2026. Member Conference Attendance Grants have two annual calls, with the next deadline being 29 May 2026. The Summer Placement Scheme deadline is 30 January 2026.
What changed: FY2022 → FY2024
| Change | Grantee | FY2022 | FY2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| new | McGill University | — | £21k |
| new | Monash University | — | £20k |
| new | University of Oldenburg | — | £20k |
| new | Wieland Heim (Germany) | — | £20k |
| new | University of East Anglia, UK | — | £20k |
| new | University of Cape Town | — | £20k |
| new | Andreia Malpica-Topete (Mexico) | — | £2k |
| new | Charlie Russell (UK) | — | £2k |
| not listed | A/Prof Rohan Clarke | £85k | — |
| not listed | Stuart Sharp | £20k | — |
| not listed | Chima Josiah Nwaoga | £3k | — |
| not listed | Anap Isphaku Afan | £2k | — |
| not listed | Kristen Wacker | £2k | — |
| not listed | Olufemi Oluboden | £2k | — |
| not listed | Klara K. Nordén | £2k | — |
| not listed | Teresa Pegan | £2k | — |
Grants made, per its accounts filings
| Recipient | Year | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGill University | FY2024 | £21k | John & Pat Warham Studentship |
| Monash University | FY2024 | £20k | John & Pat Warham Studentship |
| University of Oldenburg | FY2024 | £20k | Brenda and Tony Gibbs Award |
| Wieland Heim (Germany) | FY2024 | £20k | Brenda and Tony Gibbs Award |
| University of East Anglia, UK | FY2024 | £20k | John & Pat Warham Studentship |
| University of Cape Town | FY2024 | £20k | Brenda and Tony Gibbs Award |
| Andreia Malpica-Topete (Mexico) | FY2024 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Charlie Russell (UK) | FY2024 | £2k | Brenda and Tony Gibbs small research award |
| Alice J. Edney (UK) | FY2024 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Stephanie Harris (UK) | FY2024 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Alper Yelimlieş (Turkey) | FY2024 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Sophie Harris (UK) | FY2024 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Eugenia Andrea Bonetti (Argentina) | FY2024 | £2k | Brenda and Tony Gibbs small research award |
| Jason Lacson (USA) | FY2024 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Simon Evans (UK) | FY2024 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Alejandro Corregidor-Castro (Spain) | FY2024 | £1k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| A/Prof Rohan Clarke | FY2022 | £85k | John and Pat Warham Studentship |
| Stuart Sharp | FY2022 | £20k | Brenda and Tony Gibbs Award |
| Chima Josiah Nwaoga | FY2022 | £3k | Career Development Bursary |
| Anap Isphaku Afan | FY2022 | £2k | Career Development Bursary |
| Kristen Wacker | FY2022 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Olufemi Oluboden | FY2022 | £2k | Brenda and Tony Gibbs small research award |
| Klara K. Nordén | FY2022 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Teresa Pegan | FY2022 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Verónica Méndez Aragón | FY2022 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Michał Jezierski | FY2022 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| Roman Alberto Ruggera | FY2022 | £2k | Small Ornithological Research Grant |
| University of Tasmania, Australia | FY2021 | £23k | John & Pat Warham Studentship – Paige Green |
| McGill University, Canada | FY2021 | £22k | John & Pat Warham Studentship – Émile Brisson-Curadeau |
| University of Tasmania, Australia | FY2021 | £20k | Brenda & Tony Gibbs Award – Jennifer Lavers |
| Jennifer Lavers | FY2021 | £20k | Lecturer in Marine Science, Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania, Australia. Investigating carry-over effects of plastic pollution on post-fledging movement and survival of a pelagic seabird. |
| University of East Anglia, UK | FY2021 | £11k | John & Pat Warham Studentship – Kirsty Franklin |
| Jethro George Gauld | FY2021 | £2k | PhD candidate, University of Exeter, UK. Patterns and consequences of parasite infection in a declining long-distance migratory passerine. |
| Fraser Bell | FY2021 | £2k | PhD student, University of East Anglia, UK. Real world trial of new LORA GPS tracking technology, to understand vulture movement behaviour at wind farms, in three dimensions. |
| Josh Arbon | FY2021 | £2k | PhD candidate, University of Exeter, UK. Does pair-bond strength affect parental care strategies? |
| Darren O’Connell | FY2021 | £2k | Postdoctoral Research Associate, University, UK. Birds as monitors of ecosystem restoration: using avian soundscapes for assessing biodiversity and functioning of restored mangrove forests. |
| Jenna McCullough | FY2021 | £2k | PhD student, University of New Mexico, US. Island kingfishers as an emerging model system to study the genomics of speciation. |
| Crinan Jarrett | FY2021 | £2k | PhD candidate, University of Glasgow, UK. Putting a price on the menu: Quantifying bird ecosystem services in African cocoa plantations. |
| Olivia Hicks | FY2021 | £2k | Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chize, France. The energetic trade-off between immunity and foraging complexity. |
| Petra Sumasgutner | FY2021 | £2k | Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, Austria. Honest signals and circulating carotenoids in an urban top predator (Common Kestrel). |
| Rohit Naniwadekar | FY2021 | £1k | Researcher, Nature Conservation Foundation, India. Population genetics of the island endemic Narcondam Hornbill Rhyticeros narcondami. |
| Çağla Önsal | FY2021 | £1k | Masters Student, Koç University, Turkey. Multi-modal signalling in noise in the European Robin Erithacus rubecula. |
| Hannah Moon | FY2021 | £1k | PhD student, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA. Molecular drivers of spectral perception in endangered Hawaiian seabirds. |
| Riva Riley | FY2021 | £1k | President’s Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland, USA. Patterns of cooperation in a communally nesting bird, the Palmchat Dulus dominicus. |
| Benjamin Murphy | FY2021 | £1k | PhD candidate, Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, South Africa. Taking the heat: are Drongo’s Dicrurus adsimilis efforts to cool nestlings in hot weather constrained by the necessity of maintaining safe body temperatures? |
| Amanda Bourne | FY2021 | £1k | PhD candidate, Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Do seasonal changes in food resources predict breeding phenology and reproductive success in Southern Pied Babblers Turdoides bicolor? |