About the Biota Awards

About the Biota Awards

The Biota Awards, a program of Walder Foundation, provides funding to outstanding early-career researchers based in Chicago who seek to protect, understand, and restore biodiversity locally and around the world, using research outcomes to inform conservation action and deliver on-the-ground results.

In previous years, awardees received up to $300,000 of research funding distributed over three years. In 2025, for the first time, the Biota Awards exclusively focused on providing support for postdocs. ​

    • The Walder Foundation champions Chicago and invests in science innovation, environmental sustainability, the performing arts, migration and immigrant communities, and Jewish life to uplift local communities and elevate our region's contributions to the world. 

    • The Environmental Sustainability Program Area aims to: 

      • Support a livable and resilient future for Chicago communities by better integrating nature into our everyday lives 

      • Use nature to address environmental challenges related to climate, water, food, and health ​

      • Champion the Chicago region as a hub for biodiversity research and conservation action​

  • Walder Foundation invests in biodiversity research because the future of nature is vital to the health of our planet and our communities. By encouraging researchers to pursue action-oriented science, we hope to ensure conservation action is grounded in strong science and that land managers and communities have the ability to help shape the research questions that matter to them. This will help to conserve endangered species and threatened ecosystems, help us adapt to and mitigate climate change, and enhance the critical benefits that nature provides. 

    Supporting future leaders in biodiversity science is vital to our goals of building and elevating Chicago as a hub for translating biodiversity research into conservation action.  We hope our awardees will continue to have an impact on biodiversity and conservation science in Chicago for years to come.

    • Champion Chicago as a hub for translating biodiversity research into science-based conservation action ​

    • Attract, develop and retain biodiversity science and applied conservation research leaders in the Chicago region ​

    • Support research and conservation programs that seek to understand, protect, and restore biodiversity both in the Chicago region and around the world​

    • Build a collaborative applied biodiversity research community that has clear pathways to on the ground impact​

    • Recognize and support a wide range of scientists in terms of geographic focus and areas of expertise​

    • Applications are reviewed by an expert Advisory Committee, comprised of leading scientists and practitioners, and Walder Foundation leadership. ​

    • Proposal review includes the following criteria:​

      • Research focus - The extent to which the project addresses a significant gap or need for biodiversity science.​

      • Leadership potential - The extent to which the researcher is a current or potential future leader in biodiversity science and its application.​

      • Impact potential - The extent to which the researcher shows a desire to create meaningful on-the-ground impact from their research. ​

      • Building the field - The extent to which the researcher and proposed work contribute to building an inclusive and equitable biodiversity research sector.​

Why Biodiversity?

Humans, animals and plants depend on healthy, thriving ecosystems. Yet, many human activities deplete our environment of the biodiversity that we need to survive. Understanding, protecting, and restoring biodiversity is vital for clean air, fresh water, and fertile land for food.

Chicago is a densely populated city surrounded by diverse and rare ecosystems, including remnant prairie, wetlands, and one of the largest bodies of freshwater. While threats to biodiversity in our region are vast, the potential solutions are just as expansive. Through the Biota Awards, Walder Foundation funds creative thinkers to explore new solutions to restore and preserve our ecosystems. The Foundation promotes the long-term sustainability of the natural environment by addressing socio-environmental challenges such as climate, water, food, and health.

Investing in Early-Career Researchers

The Biota Awards invests in early career researchers at the post-doc and independent investigator stage. Through this work, we aim to support a range of scientists that can bring new perspectives and experiences to the field. This funding enables these scientists to establish themselves in their field, building relationships with practitioners and communities that will enable them to boost the impact of their research throughout their career. Early career scientists are the future of this work, and by providing support for these emerging leaders we hope to encourage them to build pathways to on the ground impact that will accelerate conservation solutions for people and nature.

Pathways to Impact

It is vital that land management, the protection of biodiversity, and conservation action are grounded in sound science. The Biota Awards encourages scientists to think about the “end users” of their research and ask themselves how their work can make a meaningful on-the-ground impact for conservation. Biota Awardees often work in close partnerships with land management agencies, policy makers, and communities to frame their research questions and involve them in their projects so that they are answering relevant questions for conservation and bringing science out of their institutions and into the places and communities where it can have the most impact.

Flexible Funding

The Biota Awards provide funding that can be used in many different ways to support the proposed research. In addition to supporting research costs, previous awardees have used funding to support interns, provide stipends to community groups, build capacity at international organizations engaged in the work, and advance public outreach and communications initiatives. Many projects have sought to create on-the-ground impact in novel ways.