Applications to fund projects for the 2025-2026 academic year will open
March 1, 2025 to June 1, 2025
APPLY FOR FUNDING
Who can apply?
K-12 teachers or other educators and organizers of educational programs addressing K-12 audiences.
When is the grant application period?
The application period for the 2025-2026 academic year opens March 1st 2025.
What are the grant-funding levels?
The amount of funding available in any year is set by the ESA Education and Outreach Committee and dependent on existing funds. The same scoring rubric is used for reviewing all applications, regardless of proposed budget. The three levels for grant applications are:
- Micro-grants (less than $500)
- Regular grants ($500-$999)
- Large grants ($1,000-$2,500)
Depending on funds, grants may be partially funded (i.e. a lower tier).
When are grant winners announced and funded?
Grantees will be announced via email to the submitting address mid-September with funding delivered prior to October 1.
How are grant winners chosen?
Volunteers on ESA’s Education and Outreach Committee evaluate all grant applications according to a rubric that considers project concept, planning, and expected impact. Projects are ranked according to the scores produced by the rubric and funding decisions based on these rankings. See the detailed scoring rubric.
What are the reporting requirements for grant winners?
All grantees must complete funded projects by July 31 of the following year, and all final reports on funded projects are due to ESA by October 1 of the year following funding. See detailed reporting requirements.
If selected, when will I receive funds?
Funds are generally delivered prior to October 1st , but exact timing is difficult to predict. You can promote timely distribution by ensuring your check disbursement information is listed correctly.
What is ESAs “investment impact”
The investment impact refers to how many students will benefit from the program and to what extent. The larger the number of students that are involved in the project, the greater the investment impact rating. For example, if one time funding creates a project that can continue for several years, that project has a higher impact than a project which will not live long term. Strong applications state their impact in terms of people affected directly and indirectly, time, and project longevity.
What types of resources will the Chyrsalis Fund support?
Chrysalis Funds may be used to offset any expenses that are directly related to completing your project. Past Chrysalis Fund projects have used their awards in a variety of ways including:
- Purchase of physical supplies such as nets, insect boxes, and insects
- Securing services such as poster printing and software licenses
- To offset the costs of travel such as mileage reimbursements for guest speakers
- To compensate teachers, assistants, or guest experts for time spent on the project
What types of resources will the Chrysalis Fund NOT support?
Chrysalis Funds may not be used for:
- Expenses that are not directly related to the proposed project objectives
- Work that was performed prior to the application
- Administrative or overhead costs
Where can I find past funded grants?
View examples of past awarded grants (2018-2024)
How do I make a budget?
A project budget is a line-by-line estimate of your project’s expenses. Each line represents a single expense, and should include an estimate of the per unit cost, the number of units required, and the total estimated cost. For supplies used by entomologists, sites like Forestry Suppliers, Carolina Biological, PinIt, Ecology Supplies, and other scientific equipment and game and fish suppliers are good places to find estimates. Additionally, we request a brief description of how each item will be used to achieve the project goals. Download a budget template.
Does the project have to involve insects?
As an Entomological Society of America program, the Chrysalis Fund will prioritize projects that are insect focused. However, projects focused on non-insect terrestrial or aquatic (i.e. freshwater) arthropods such as spiders, mites, ticks, scorpions, crustaceans, centipedes, and millipedes will also receive consideration. However, note that the project does not necessarily have to be using insects or arthropods directly (e.g., a project can involve improving or studying insect habitat).
For questions contact esa@entsoc.org