Applications

Check back in September 2025 for a list of fellowships available in 2026.

The next round of applications will be due in November 2025.

Please note that competition is stiff. Applications are reviewed and ranked by a committee of Ducks Unlimited staff from Canada and the United States. They will be judged based primarily on the criteria listed below. Some fellowships have additional award criteria. Applications typically scoring highest have projects that are scientifically sound and clearly highlight potential contribution to a) basic biology (e.g. developing/testing ecological theory or addressing fundamental uncertainties in wetland and waterfowl ecology), b) waterfowl and/or wetland conservation, and c) Ducks Unlimited management decisions. Of these criteria, the first tends to be the weakest in otherwise competitive applications.

General scoring criteria:

• Academic qualifications of the student
• Career path
• Scientific merit
• Originality / creativity
• Contributions to basic biology
• Importance to conservation
• Achievability
• Ducks Unlimited mission alignment

Application Details

Applications should include the following. Electronic submissions and individual files for each major bullet below are strongly encouraged:

• Research proposal, not more than 6 pages in length (excluding figures, tables, timetable, and literature cited). The format is flexible, but should include:
  • An introduction to the problem (including a statement of relevance to DU)
  • Objectives and major hypotheses
  • The basic design of observations or experiments
  • General methods
  • A timetable
  • Cited literature
• A budget, completed using this budget template. Note that IWWR is a non-profit institution and does not pay indirect costs to cooperating universities and research institutions.
• Statement of career objectives (less than one page)
• Statement of how hunting has shaped the candidate’s perspectives on conservation (less than one page, and only required if applying for the Waterfowl Research Foundation Fellowship)
• Scanned image of hunting or sportsman licence (only required if applying for the Waterfowl Research Foundation Fellowship)
• Curriculum vitae of the student applicant
• Academic transcripts, including from your undergraduate degree (can be photocopies)
• A letter of endorsement from the applicant’s advisor(s)
• One additional letter of recommendation, from someone other than your current graduate advisor(s) (can be sent separately, but may also be included in the application package)

Where to Apply

To inquire about, apply for, or submit a letter of recommendation to Ducks Unlimited fellowships, please contact us by email 

Lauren Bortolotti
Research Scientist
Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research