Grants
One of the four key pillars of the mission of the Foundation for the Conservation of Salamanders is to fund salamander conservation, education, and research initiatives through annual grants. We are the only foundation solely dedicated to conserving all salamanders and our team works tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that funding is available to support the impressive work of herpetologists around the world. FCsal has funded $66,454 in research projects since 2013.
Our call for proposals is announced annually in November and posted on our website, social media, and partners. Take a look through the impressive work of some of our past grantees for ideas about what activities we support.
2024 FCSal Grant Recipients
Community-engaged research and conservation initiatives of the vulnerable Himalayan salamanders Tylototriton himalayanus in eastern Nepal - $2,455
Dipa Rai & Manoj Pokharel, Research Fellows, Wildlife Conservation and Research Endeavour Nepal
Past Grant Recipients
2023
Ensuring the endemic salamander conservation (Bolitoglossa savagei) through community-based conservation actions in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) Key Biodiversity Area, Colombia - $5,000
Jose Luis Pérez González, Principal Investigator, Fundación Atelopus & Jose Daniel Barros Castañeda, Environmental Education Coordinator, Universidad del Magdalena
September Update
Transforming the Rare Brazilian Salamanders in Symbols of Conservation in Amazonia - $5,000
Pedro Peloso, Director of Strategic Planning, Instituto Boitatá
2022
Searching for threatened and lost salamanders in a mesoamerican hotspot with a citizen science approach - $4,763
Diego A. Gómez Hoyos, Country Coordinator, ProCAT Costa Rica; Henry Sandí, Citizen Science Leader, San Vito; Junior Porras, Monitoring Coordinator, National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC)
Check out the new website and Facebook page for this initiative!
Development of novel breeding enclosures for groundwater salamanders - $1,400
Danté Fenolio, Bekky Muscher-Hodges, Kamryn Richard, Brittany Nunn, Ariana Duffey, and Andy Gluesenkamp, Center for Conservation and Research, San Antonio Zoo
2020
Monitoring the incidence of emerging pathogens on endemic urodeles from the Cantabrian range, Spain - $5,000
Barbora Thumsová, PhD Student, University of Cádiz
Jaime Bosch, Senior Research Scientist, National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid
August Update, October Update, December Update
This project produced two publications! You can read more here: Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans Threat to the Iberian Urodele Hotspot and here: Climate warming triggers the emergence of native viruses in Iberian amphibians
Status assessment of the eastern mud salamander in New Jersey - $500
Matt McCann; Science, Research, and Policy Associate; Delaware Riverkeeper Network
June Update, December Update, September 2022 Update, Final Report
Population genetics of the southern dusky salamander - $1500
Chace Holzheuser, PhD Student, Florida State University
2019
Long-term effects of silviculture practices on salamander densities - $5000
Nicholas Caruso, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Carola Haas, Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
2018
Proactive development of mitigation tactics to combat the salamander-eating fungus
Molly Bletz and Douglas Woodhams, University of Massachusetts, and Reid Harris, Amphibian Survival Alliance
April 2018 Update, April 2023 Update
Expanding Eastern Hellbender Captive-Rearing Facilities in Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.
Rod Williams and Nicholas G. Burgmeier, Purdue University, and Joe Smith, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo (Update)
Sublethal Effects of Insecticide on Salamanders
Donald Brown and Alice Millikin, West Virginia University (November Update) (Final Report)
2017
The Effects of Specific Conductance on Stream Salamander Occupancy and Allocthony in Southeastern Kentucky
Jacob Hutton from the University of Kentucky, awarded $5,000 (March update) (June update) (November update) (January update)
Ex-situ Conservation Breeding and Repatriation of the Imperiled Striped Newt Notophthalmus perstriatus in the Apalachicola National Forest, Florida
Robert Mendyk and Mark Beshel of Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, awarded $1,994 (Update)
Estimating effective population sizes for central Texas Eurycea cave and spring salamanders
Andrew Corbin at the University of Texas, Arlington, awarded $1,000 (April update)
2016
Assessment of the Conservation status and needs of Taylor's salamander
Dr. Christopher Michaels from the Zoological Society of London and José Alfredo Hernández Díaz from Africam Safari, awarded $4,474 (Final Report)
(January '17 update, right click) (November update) (September update) (June update) (March update)
Developing China’s first Chinese giant salamander conservation eco trail in Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve
Shu Chen from the Zoological Society of London, awarded $500
Vernal Pools for Me
Aram J. K. Calhoun and Kristine Hoffmann from the University of Maine, awarded $500
2013
Monitoring Appalachian Salamanders Using Environmental DNA
Todd Pierson, Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, awarded $1,500 (Final report)
Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) Ohio Conservation Plan
Jamie Weyer, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, awarded $500 (Final report)