Joshua Tree National Park
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-5500
www.nps.gov/jotr
JOSHUA TREE News Release
Release Date: September 14, 2015
Contact: Jennie Kish Albrinck, 760-367-5520
Joshua Tree National Park and Association Accepting Applications for Robert Lee Graduate
Student Research Grants
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, Twentynine Palms, CA – Graduate students interested in doing research in
Joshua Tree National Park are invited to apply for assistance through the 2015 Robert Lee Graduate Student
Research Grants program. Applications for the grant are available now on the park’s website
(http://www.nps.gov/jotr/naturescience/grantprogram.htm). Research proposals should focus on some aspect of
the natural or cultural resources of Joshua Tree National Park. The application deadline is October 23, 2015.
Since 2003, Joshua Tree National Park and park partner Joshua Tree National Park Association (JTNPA), with
the generosity of the Lee Family Foundation, have been able to support field research projects through Robert Lee
Graduate Student Research Grants. More than 25 independent research projects have been conducted to date,
adding significantly to the knowledge of the park and its natural and cultural resources.
The purpose of the grant program is to support graduate students at accredited institutions in conducting
independent research at Joshua Tree National Park. The program provides students an opportunity to demonstrate
how their research can apply to land management issues and educate park visitors as well as increasing
knowledge and understanding of Joshua Tree National Park’s natural and cultural resources. Multiple grants of up
to $4,000 will be provided through the JTNPA to assist students with field study expenses, including data
analysis, lodging, transportation, field supplies, and research equipment. All awards are administered through a
reimbursement program and recipients are expected to complete all of the requirements of the grant within two
years of the award.
Awards will be announced by November 30, 2015.
Grant recipients are required to 1) submit six-month progress reports to the Park; 2) submit a final report that
provides details of the study methods and conclusions to the Park; 3) present their work at a suitable public forum,
ideally in a locally available setting such as the Joshua Tree National Park Association’s Desert Institute Lecture
Series; and 4) provide suitable content for resource education materials, e.g. the NPS website. Recipients must
complete all of the requirements of the grant within two years of the award.
To learn more about the Robert Lee Grant Program visit our website
(http://www.nps.gov/jotr/naturescience/grantprogram.htm). Inquiries about the Robert Lee Graduate Student
Research Grant program should be directed to jotr_robert_lee_graduate_stud@nps.gov.
-NPSFor more information see, www.nps.gov/jotr, or follow us on
Twitter @JoshuaTreeNP, and on Facebook at Joshua Tree NP
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