Colorado Field Ornithologists is devoted to the study, conservation, and enjoyment of Colorado's birds. Since 1999, CFO annually funds research and conservation projects that will have a lasting benefit to Colorado birds and the habitats upon which they rely. CFO also provides scholarships for youth and students to attend scientific conferences or birding camps to promote the education of the next generation of bird enthusiasts, researchers, and conservationists. 

Research Grants

CFO makes grants to individuals or organizations to fund programs and projects that will have a lasting benefit to Colorado birds, and the habitats upon which they rely. CFO provides grants for projects up to $2000. CFO grants can either fund a full project or be applied as matching funds for larger grants benefitting Colorado birds.

Eligibility: CFO grants are open to individuals and organizations that fit the following criteria:

  • Conducting avian research in Colorado or species that use habitat in Colorado for either breeding or migrating.

Limitations: CFO grants cannot be applied to the following costs:

  • Institutional overhead/indirect costs.
  • Researcher salaries (stipends for field assistants are permitted)
  • Requests for equipment where use goes beyond the scope of the project (such as cameras, spotting scopes, and office equipment) are usually not permitted and require specific justification.

Reporting Requirements:

  • Write a summary report at the end of the grant.
  • Present the results of their funded research in the Science Session at a CFO convention (encouraged but not required).
  • Publication of a full-length science article about the research in Colorado Birds by grant recipients is always welcome and encouraged.

2026 Grants

The deadline to apply for a 2026 grant has passed. Check back later this year for 2027 grants.

Joe Roller Memorial Grant & Travel Scholarship

In honor of long-time Colorado birder Joe Roller, the Joe Roller Memorial Fund supports each year's top-ranked research grant. The Joe Roller Memorial Fund also supports one youth travel scholarship a year. The fund was initially funded through donations to Scott Somershoe's 2021 Green Big Year, a carbon-free birding initiative, and is sustained through the investment of the original funds and additional donations. 

Research spotlight: Sara Padula

Comparing the genetics of spatial cognition in two species of food caching chickadees

Figure 1. The RFID feeder array, located at the University of Colorado’s Mountain Research Station in Ward, Colorado.

Figure 1. The RFID feeder array, located at the University of Colorado’s Mountain Research Station in Ward, Colorado.

Figure 2. BCCH (Top) and MOCH (Bottom) after being banded. The long band on their left leg is the PIT tag and the bands on their right leg is a colored band and a metal USGS band.

Figure 2. BCCH (Top) and MOCH (Bottom) after being banded. The long band on their left leg is the PIT tag and the bands on their right leg is a colored band and a metal USGS band.

Figure 3. Objectives for my proposed project. Top images courtesy of the Pravosudov lab. Objective 1: On left, RFID feeder and on right, MOCH getting a seed out of a feeder. Objective 2: Many genes encode for spatial memory. Some of these genes may be different between MOCH and BCCH (Genes A and C in MOCH; Genes D and E in BCCH), while some genes may be the same (Gene B in both).

Figure 3. Objectives for my proposed project. Top images courtesy of the Pravosudov lab. Objective 1: On left, RFID feeder and on right, MOCH getting a seed out of a feeder. Objective 2: Many genes encode for spatial memory. Some of these genes may be different between MOCH and BCCH (Genes A and C in MOCH; Genes D and E in BCCH), while some genes may be the same (Gene B in both).

Research Grant Awardees

YEAR RESEARCHER AFFILIATION PROPOSAL TITLE
2026 George Kinney CSU (Ruegg lab) Conservation Genomics of a Declining Colorado Grassland Bird, the Bobolink. 2026 Joe Roller Memoiral Grant Awardee.
2026 Lucas Florsheim CU Boulder (Taylor lab) Investigating historical introgression in Colorado chickadees using museum specimens.
2026 Sebrina Brooks CU Boulder (Safran lab) The effects of differential heavy metal exposure: a global study of a migratory bird.
YEAR RESEARCHER AFFILIATION PROPOSAL TITLE
2016 Lani Stinson CSU Effects of an introduced tree on riparian bird communities…
2016 Casey Setash CSU Cinnamon Teal breeding and population ecology
2016 Nadje Najar UNC Inferring the Migratory Connectivity of Rock Wrens (Salpinctes obsoletus) with Population Genetics to Assess the Effects of Migration on Song Complexity
2016 Cody Porter U Wyoming Ecological Fluctuations and the Evolution of Reproductive Isolation
2016 James Dwyer EDM International Using Nest Success and Site Fidelity to Quantify Effects of Land Use on Northern Colorado Raptors
2016 Ross Calhoun CC Determining fall movements of the flammulated owl (Psiloscops flammeolus)
2016 Scott Rashid CARRI Increasing Barn and Long Eared Owl numbers in Boulder and Larimer Counties
2016 Johanna Beam CFO Youth Scholarship to attend Camp Chiricahua/ VENT

Student Travel Scholarships

The CFO Student Travel Scholarships provides financial help to young birders to attend summer camps, workshops, conferences, and training programs that introduce them to science and nature through the study of birds.

Scholarships typically range from $200-$500 and the amount of funding given each year is limited. Unused funds must be returned to CFO.

Eligibility

  • Must be a student enrolled in school (including homeschooled), college, or university.
  • Must reside in the state of Colorado or be applying to attend a Colorado Field Ornithologists event.

Submission Timeline

  • Rolling deadline but please submit at least 8 weeks prior to the event you wish to attend.
  • Review and notification will occur within 4 weeks of the application being received.
  • 2026 CFO Convention specifics: Applications are currently being accepted and are reviewed as they arrive.

CFO requires that recipients report back on their experiences by writing a short summary, preferably with photos, for Colorado Birds: The Quarterly Journal of Colorado Field Ornithologists and/or to be posted on the CFO website.

If you have questions, please contact us at grants@cobirds.org.

Colorado Birding Challenge Conservation Grants

The Colorado Birding Challenge (CBC) is a fun, county-based birding and conservation event organized by Colorado Field Ornithologists each year. One objective is to raise funds for important conservation initiatives.

Past CBC Conservation Grant recipients have received from $20,000 to $40,000 to support their work to protect birds and their habitats. Organizations and individuals with conservation projects impacting Colorado birds and their habitats are invited to submit proposals.

2026 Deadline: Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM MT

Gunnison Sage-Grouse. Credit Gary Kramer
Grassland birds. Credit Diana Beatty.
Pinyon Jay. Credit David Tonnessen.