Zoology Scholarships

Available Financial Aid

Zoology is the discipline of animal biology, the study of animals’ structure and physiology. A zoologist is expected to know everything about the bodies of individual animals, starting at the cellular level, and how those bodies develop throughout the animals’ lifetimes. Likewise, zoologists study the evolution of species, particularly how animals have adapted to changes in their environments.

There is a great deal of field research to conduct in the subject, and much of the scholarship aid you will find is targeted at research projects. Be prepared to communicate your research plans as part of your applications. The following is a small sample of the financial resources available for graduate students, meant to give you an idea of what you will find in your scholarship search.

College Scholarships

Michigan State University

Michigan State University’s Department of Zoology has posted a full page of information on scholarships from various sources. There are two scholarships designed for zoology majors:

• The Jeffrey Boettcher Fund pays for field study projects, favoring proposals for work off campus. Preferred subjects are marine biology and invertebrate biology, but any departmental major is acceptable. Awards range from $300 to $1,000 each.
• The Dr. Marvin Hensley Endowed Scholarship Fund in Zoology is reserved for zoology majors only. It supports students in vertebrate zoology who want to conduct field research, and the award is made in spring but applies to study during the fall of the same year.

University of Oklahoma

The Department of Biology/Zoology at the University of Oklahoma offers scholarships for both undergraduate majors and graduate students. All four scholarships are named for M. Blanche Adams and M. Frances Adams, and here are brief descriptions:

• The undergraduate scholarships, an award of at least $1,000 for the academic year and another of $2,500 for summer research, go to Biology/Zoology majors who have strong academic records (a GPA of 3.5 is required). Summer research applicants must participate in the Honors and Independent study programs, and present a reference letter from the faculty member responsible for the research project.
• The two graduate scholarships cover the same time periods and bring the same amounts. The academic year award is based on not only academic history but also financial need, and previous winners of an Adams Scholarship are eligible to apply again. Applicants must submit a description of their scholarly achievements to date.

Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of Biology scholarships include the Gersbacher Zoology Achievement Award, given to a junior or senior biology major who is specializing in zoology. The Gersbacher award is based solely on scholastic accomplishments, and you must have a GPA of 3.5 to apply.

Biology majors are also eligible for the J.C. (Jack) Miller Scholarship, which looks at not only academic history but also leadership ability and financial need. You must have at least 60 credit hours to qualify for this award.

University of Wyoming

The Department of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming offers the Dr. George E. Menkens Memorial Scholarship for a doctoral candidate in zoology. You will need to submit a detailed five-page proposal describing the aims and methods of your research, and provide two personal references.

Application requirements for the Robert A. Jenkins Undergraduate Research Award are similar, and many of the other departmental scholarships that support research into wildlife, like the Wildlife Society Graduate Scholar Award, are also suitable for zoology majors.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Zoology Department provides a very helpful page of funding opportunities that cover student research projects. Here are a few of the listings:

• The general Zoology Department Undergraduate Research Grants typically range from $750 to $1,000, and that money can be used either as a student stipend or to pay for research expenses like travel.
• Undergraduates in at least junior year can apply for the Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowships or the Holstrom Environmental Scholarships, both of which provide money for research conducted with a member of the faculty or the academic staff.
• The Mark Mensink Honors Research Grant is worth two semesters of full tuition (full-time and resident), intended to encourage a student to produce an excellent senior thesis in the honors program. Selection is based on the quality of your thesis proposal.

Scholarships From Private Organizations

Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund

The Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund is a South Carolina nonprofit that promotes education focusing on wildlife and natural resources. One of its philanthropic gestures involves underwriting an annual scholarship of $2,500, intended for a South Carolina college student. One of the majors accepted is zoology, and you must not only live in South Carolina but plan to graduate from a South Carolina high school.

The award is renewable for four years if you maintain a GPA of 2.5.

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, originally the American Society of Zoologists, has created the Libbie H. Hyman Memorial Scholarship for students of invertebrate zoology. The Hyman award pays for either courses or research, and you can choose among these three types of field stations for your work: marine, freshwater, or terrestrial.

Advanced undergraduates may apply, although the award was designed for a graduate student.