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UNM graduate student Cyler Conrad works to explore the relationship between climate change and prehistoric subsistence in mainland SE Asia. Conrad is a National Geographic Young Explorer who will be one of the speakers at Saturdays Young Explorer Grant Workshop. 

UNM graduate student Cyler Conrad works to explore the relationship between climate change and prehistoric subsistence in mainland SE Asia. Conrad is a National Geographic Young Explorer who will be one of the speakers at Saturdays Young Explorer Grant Workshop. 

National Geographic offers grant workshop for hopeful researchers, explorers and conservationists at UNM

The National Geographic Young Explorers Grants workshop, which is being held this Saturday at UNM, aims to inspire future explorers, researchers and conservationists to use their program to see the world and share new discoveries.

The workshop will cover all the ins-and-outs of the program via presentations by Young Explorers and National Geographic representatives followed by refreshments, allowing students to interact with National Geographic grantees and staff.

The National Geographic Society’s (NGS) Young Explorers Grants (YEG) program, which has given more than 450 grants for work in 90 countries, awards individuals between 18 and 25 years old with some of their first fieldwork grants. Director of the National Geographic Expeditions Council and the National Geographic YEG Program Rebecca Martin said that the grants, offered year-round, focus on “research in social, natural and physical sciences; conservation of species, habitats, ecosystems and biological diversity; (and) exploration through expeditions, filmmaking, photography, arts, journalism, etc.”

The grants range from $2,000 to $5,000.

UNM archaeology professor Chip Wills, a member of the committee that selects grant recipients, said that his team works to help jump-start experience for future researchers through the grants.

“The YEG program is an important commitment by NGS to find and support the next generation of researchers and explorers. NGS conducts workshops at major research universities around the world, and UNM has a strong record of NGS support through grants to faculty members, and therefore, NGS feels that UNM is a place where young scholars, researchers and storytellers are valued and would benefit from NGS backing for their work,” he said.

From building migration passages for endangered species to finding new methods of excavating prehistoric Mongolian mammals to creating a prize-winning film surrounding an extreme kayaking expedition and more, grant recipients have covered boundless issues and made equally boundless discoveries, many of which have been featured in National Geographic magazines, films, and other media.

Martin herself has done it all. With the help of her 30 years at National Geographic, she said she’s met renowned explorers, adventurers, scientists, and photographers. She said she views the program as “a first opportunity for students and young professionals to receive funding for fieldwork. Many of our Young Explorers go on to have long-standing relationships with National Geographic, and we are proud to have been able to launch the careers of important researchers, explorers and conservationists across the globe.”

Asia Alsgaard, a graduate archaeology student who is currently serving as a teacher’s assistant for an anthropology 101 course, said that the seminar goes beyond preparing students to apply for these specific grants.

“Not only should the workshop present information and/or suggestions that might be useful for applying to this specific National Geographic grant, but the information will probably be useful for applying to other National Geographic grants,” Alsgaard said. “The workshop might be a good place for students to bounce ideas off of each other and get a better sense of what sort of project might be appropriate for this (or other) National Geographic grants.”

There are two steps to applying for the grant, which is done online: a pre-application and a full application. If students receive pre-application approval, they will receive an invitation to complete the full application, which is reviewed extensively by experts in each field. Grant recipients must document a full report of their fieldwork, which involves taking photos and videos along the way. The results are then shared with National Geographic media.

“What we hope to see most is an enthusiasm for science and exploration, as well as some well-developed project idea. We have a long history of funding scientists and explorers from UNM, and we would love the opportunity to increase that support. We also want to spread the word about our YEGs and we hope students who are able to attend the workshop will be able to speak about the program to their friends and colleagues,” Martin said.

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The entirely NGS and NorthFace-funded workshop is tomorrow. Check in begins at 10:30 am, and the event will be held in room 163 in the Anthropology Building. Interested students can sign up at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/grants-programs/yeg-workshop/ until the end of Friday.

If students want to hear more from National Geographic, they may also attend a free event on Friday evening, titled an “Evening of Field Research and Exploration”, which features National Geographic 2011 Explorer of the Year Kenny Broad and The North Face athlete Mark Synnott.

Elizabeth Sanchez is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Beth_A_Sanchez.

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