Walder Foundation Announces 2025 Biota Award Recipients
Six postdoctoral scientists will advance research to protect and increase biodiversity in Chicago and beyond
CHICAGO, IL – June 16, 2025 – Walder Foundation announces over $1.4 million in total funding will support six Chicago-based conservation and biodiversity scientists through the Foundation’s Biota Awards program. Funds will be used to advance research and solutions aimed at understanding, protecting, and restoring the unique and diverse ecosystems in Chicago and around the world.
Now in its fourth year, Walder Foundation’s Biota Awards continue to advance the careers and opportunities of biodiversity and conservation researchers in Chicago. In previous years, the program has focused on providing support for early career independent investigators. This year, for the first time, the Biota Awards sought to support the work of exceptional postdoctoral scientists. Focusing on emerging leaders is intended to enhance the pipeline for biodiversity research by attracting and retaining talented scientists in Chicago and providing opportunities for them to pursue action-oriented research when other sources of funding may be lacking.
Four of the six awardees are currently based at institutions across the United States and Europe. These awards enable them to move to Chicago to assume positions at local institutions, adding crucial research capacity and expertise.
"Protecting and enhancing biodiversity is essential to the health of our planet and our communities, including here in Chicago,” said Elizabeth Walder, CEO of Walder Foundation. “In order to better protect biodiversity, we must attract and retain the highest caliber of research scientists. Through the Biota Awards program, more scientists are advancing knowledge and contributing to resilient ecosystems in Chicago and beyond. Their efforts will help shape a more sustainable future for all."
The 2025 Biota Award recipients include:
Grace Burgin, Ph.D.
Leveraging Mating System Theory for Targeted Conservation of Endangered Prairie Wildflowers, University of Illinois Chicago
Trinity Conn, Ph.D.
Leveraging Genomics to Restore Climate-Resilient Reefs, Shedd AquariumOpale Coutant, Ph.D.
From Seasonal Biodiversity Distribution Patterns to Local Ecological Knowledge: A Multiscale Investigation to Enhance Freshwater Conservation Planning in Guyana, Field Museum of Natural History
Amanda Grunwald, Ph.D.
From Museum Collections to Conservation: Uncovering Climate-Driven Shifts in Tropical Montane Bat Communities, Field Museum of Natural HistoryMiguel Jimenez, Ph.D.
Linking Avian Migratory Stopover to Legacies of Urban Inequity, Lincoln Park ZooNicholas Medina, Ph.D.
Roots of Equity: Uncovering Soil Biodiversity to Support Urban Tree Health in Chicago, The Morton Arboretum
"This year’s Biota Award recipients are tackling an impressive range of urgent threats to biodiversity,” said Jack Westwood, senior program director for environmental sustainability at Walder Foundation. “Whether it's conserving threatened species in our region’s prairies or investigating climate resiliency in globally-significant aquatic ecosystems, or investigating biodiversity and its links to decades of social inequities in urban environments, these early-career scientists are leading innovative research and driving real-world solutions to protect our natural ecosystems."
Awardees will think creatively about how their research can be applied to deliver on-the-ground results, and their backgrounds and contributions will help the larger Chicago biodiversity research community become more inclusive.
The 2025 award recipients will be recognized at a celebration in the fall of 2025 hosted by Walder Foundation. To learn more about their research projects, please visit biotaawards.org.
Applications for the 2026 Biota Awards will open soon and will again support postdocs. We intend to provide further opportunities for independent investigators in the future. To stay engaged, sign up to receive Walder Foundation news, and visit Walder Foundation’s website for more information.
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About Walder Foundation
The Walder Foundation was established by Joseph and Elizabeth Walder to address critical issues impacting our world. The Foundation’s five areas of focus—science innovation, environmental sustainability, the performing arts, migration and immigrant communities, and Jewish life—are an extension of the Walders’ lifelong passions, interests, and their personal and professional experiences.
Walder Foundation’s Environmental Sustainability program promotes the long-term sustainability of the natural environment by addressing socio-environmental challenges to climate, water, food, and health.
Media Contact – Walder Foundation:
Elizabeth Kix, MPH, APR
Director of Communications
Walder Foundation
ekix@walderfoundation.org
847-616-5968