2026-27 Utom River Conservation Fund Fellowship
Offered by Utom Conservation Fund
About this scholarship
The 2026-27 Utom River Conservation Fund Fellowship plans approximately four awards of $12,500 for graduate work focused specifically on Southern California's Utom River watershed. Applicants may attend an accredited college or university in or outside California, but they must be enrolled in a master's or PhD program. The proposed research or project must directly concern the watershed and fit at least one of four categories: culture, wildlife, water quality, or botany. Tribal members, including members of unrecognized tribes, receive special consideration. The direct Jotform requires two distinct letters: a recommendation from someone at the applicant's current academic institution supporting the work and a reference from academic staff confirming current enrollment. A résumé or curriculum vitae is also mandatory. Applicants may optionally include a one-minute-or-shorter unlisted YouTube video describing their environmental interest. The fund is managed by a consortium of conservation and tribal organizations committed to protecting Utom's ecological and cultural integrity, and the fellowship is designed to strengthen research that directly advances that mission. Complete applications must be submitted by September 1, 2026.
Eligibility
- Attend an accredited college or university and be enrolled in a master's or PhD program
- Propose a project or research effort specific to the Utom River watershed
- Focus the work on culture, wildlife, water quality, or botany
- Complete the direct fellowship Jotform
- Provide an institutional recommendation supporting the proposed work
- Provide a separate academic reference confirming current enrollment
- Include a résumé or curriculum vitae
- Submit the complete application by September 1, 2026