Graduate Scholarships and Awards

Scholarships for travel to professional events

The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology (WFCB) has three funds to support travel to professional events by undergraduate and graduate students:  the David Veverka Fund, the Eric C. York Fund, and the Samuel Perley-Donald Gates-Thomas Gates Fund. To request these funds please submit an application prior to April 1 of the fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) preceding the conference date. Group applications are encouraged when multiple students are traveling to the same conference.

An application should include:

  1. A short letter (200-500 words) describing why you wish to attend the conference. For example, explain how the travel will enhance your career, provide an opportunity for you to present a poster on your work, etc.;
  2. Your résumé;
  3. A description of the conference (this can be attached or conveyed by a URL in the letter);
  4. A budget that shows the various costs of attending (registration, travel, lodging, food),  how much you are requesting from WFCB,  and how much you are requesting from other sources. Also indicate how costs will be shared with other students (e.g., through sharing a room or car);
  5. Any other pertinent documents, such as a recommendation letter (this is optional but might strengthen your request).

Please submit applications via this Google Form link.

General Academic Scholarships

The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology awards three graduate student scholarships/awards each year based on academic achievement and/or financial need. The College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences provides additional scholarship support as does the Graduate School.

Scholarship amounts are subject to change annually.

The Howard L. Mendall ’31, 34 Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship was established at the University of Maine in 1994 with gifts from family and friends in honor of Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Resources, Howard L. Mendall. Professor Mendall was an employee of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for 40 years until his retirement in 1977.  He was nationally and internationally recognized for his research on the double-crested cormorant, American woodcock, ring-necked duck, and American eider. The fund will be used to support graduate students studying migratory birds.

Horace Bond Graduate Student Award

The Horace Bond Scholarship is awarded annually by the Penobscot County Conservation Association (PCCA) to an individual who is pursuing an advanced degree with an emphasis on fish ecology, fisheries science, or fisheries conservation and management. The selection of a student recipient will be made by the members of the full graduate faculty in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology at The University of Maine.  This scholarship shall be awarded, in total, to an individual who is returning to The University of Maine for the fall semester following the award. The primary criterion used in the selection of the student shall be the importance of the student’s research to the conservation of freshwater or anadromous fisheries resources in Maine or the region. Financial need will be considered only when students have research projects deemed to be of equal conservation importance.

Outstanding Wildlife Ecology Graduate Student Award

Each year the faculty in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology selects the outstanding graduate student in the Department based on: (1) the quality of his or her thesis research, (2) professional interactions, (3) overall contributions to the functioning of the Department, and (4) scholastic performance. This decision is always a difficult one given the generally high level of performance and the excellent qualifications of our graduate students. This award consists of a monetary award and a plaque presented by the Chair to the student.

College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences Awards

All graduate students in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences are eligible for the Graduate Research Excellence Award.  Click here for more information.

Graduate School Scholarships, Awards, and Fellowships

Several types of awards and assistance are available for new and continuing graduate students at the University of Maine.  Most awards are based on academic performance rather than financial need. For more information, please contact the Graduate School or the Graduate Coordinator in your department of interest.  Click here for more information.