The Eric A. Ramos Small-Grants-in-Aid for Research Program (SGIAR)
In 1999, the Society for Marine Mammalogy established a program to support marine mammal research in countries and regions where scientists have limited access to research funding. The Society’s International Relations Committee and Committee of Scientific Advisors maintain a list of eligible countries and regions for this program. To view the full list and eligibility requirements for low-income countries and regions, click HERE.
In December 2024, our marine mammal community received the devastating news that Dr. Eric A. Ramos had passed away. Dr. Ramos left a profound impact on our community. His dedication to mentoring, advocating for inclusivity, and supporting early-career scientists is something to truly be celebrated. With this in mind the board has renamed the SGIAR program as the “Eric A. Ramos Small Grants in Aid of Research” to honor his legacy, as it will help foster the next generation of researchers in the field. This is our tribute to someone who clearly made a lasting difference in the lives of many. To continue Dr. Ramos legacy please consider donating to this program (link above).
Individual awards of up to $2,000 (U.S.) may be made annually. The awards are for one year only but successful applicants may re-apply in subsequent years provided they meet all the conditions of the prior award, including the annual report. Precedence is given to those who have not received funding in prior years. Recipients who subsequently have their SMM-funded research accepted for presentation at a SMM biennial conference will receive $500 toward travel expenses to the conference.
Applications are now open as of June 1, 2026 for the Eric A. Ramos Small-Grants-in-Aid for Research Program (SGIAR)—apply now to support and advance your marine mammal research before the June 30, 2026 deadline!
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must meet all three of the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a member of the Society for Marine Mammalogy
- Be a national of one of the countries/regions in the SMM low income country/region eligibility list. Students must be nationals of an eligible country or region and must also be studying in an eligible country or region. Students studying outside the eligible list are not eligible for this award.
- Be conducting research in one of the countries or regions not in the above excluded list
Preference is given to applicants who have not previously received SGIAR funding and are early career researchers such as students and researchers with less than 5 years post-doctoral experience.
These grants are intended to support marine mammal field research directly. For example, funds are intended for the purchase of essential equipment, travel to field sites, or other fundamental components for conducting the research. Up to 25% of the total budget may be requested as stipend. Applications for conference fees, meeting attendance, or workshop travel will not be considered. The Society does not provide funding for indirect costs.
In 2020, 17 of 55 applicants received funding from $793 to the maximum of $2,000. All publications resulting from work supported in full or in part by the Society must acknowledge such support with the statement: “This research was supported in part by a Eric A. Ramos Small Grant in Aid of Research from the Society for Marine Mammalogy with funds provided by Dolphin Quest, Quelonia Limited, and private donors from the society.”
SUBMISSION DETAILS
Applications are accepted annually during the month of June. Applications will now be submitted through a new online form, which is accessible only to current Society members. Applications must be submitted by end of day Tuesday, June 30, 2026 with all required materials uploaded via the submission link below. Full application details will be available on the submission form.
To submit an application, click HERE to access the Member’s Room. If you’re not already signed in, you’ll be prompted to log in. Once inside, select “Sign in to the page for SMM nominations and scholarships/grants applications” to begin. Not a member yet? Click HERE to learn more about joining the Society.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be signed in to your SMM member profile to view and submit an application through the new online system.
Applications are reviewed by the Committee of Scientific Advisors between 1 July through 31 August and recommendations for awards are provided to the Board of Governors of the Society. Awards are announced in September. Funds will be distributed to grant recipients by the Society’s Treasurer.
REVIEW CRITERIA
- Significance, the importance of the project to the scientific understanding and conservation of marine mammals;
- Approach, the appropriateness of the methods to acquire the information and the techniques to analyze the collected data;
- Probability, the likelihood of this project meeting its objectives; and
- Qualification, the ability of the applicant to conduct the project.
FORMER RECIPIENTS AND FINAL REPORTS
Each proposal is independently reviewed by several members of the Society’s Committee of Scientific Advisors.
Within one year of receipt of Society funds, grantees are required to provide the Society with a 250-word summary report on how the grant funds were used to support their marine mammal research and if the research findings have been or will be published. The summaries of each supported project will be published on the Society website.
View Eric A. Ramos Small Grants in Aid of Research Recipients and Reports from prior years
QUESTIONS
For technical questions regarding the online application, please email: admin@marinemammalscience.org
For all other questions about the grants, please contact:
Dr. Laura J. May-Collado
Chair of the Committee of Scientific Advisors
University of Vermont, Department of Biology
Room 120, Marsh Life Science, 109 Carrigan Drive
Burlington, Vermont 05405 USA
Phone: 802 6564138
Email: science@marinemammalscience.org
* The following criteria have been chosen to establish this classification: (1) Using the most recent World Bank classification (https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups), all countries/regions in the categories Upper Middle Income, Lower Middle Income, and Low Income are eligible; and (2) Within the High Income countries/regions, those countries/regions that spend less than US $50 million or less than 1% of their GDP on Research and Development (https://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=74) are also eligible.