NSS International Exploration Grants

Two of the many scenic entrances to Buda River Cave in Gunung Buda National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Photo by Jean Krejca

Purpose

     National Speleological Society International Exploration Grants foster and encourage the work of NSS cavers in cave exploration, survey and research projects around the world. Grants are given in support of group equipment for expeditions outside of the United States and its territories. Grants have varied between $200 and $1000 in past years and have supported work on 6 continents by dozens of US cavers. Projects have included work in Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Borneo, Chile, Nepal, China, and many more countries. As few as three and as many as ten grants have been given in a single year.
     The grant program has undergone several significant recent changes. A few years ago the grant was endowed under the leadership of Don Paquette with funds from the NSS International Speleological Participation Fund, the Gunung Buda Project, and in honor of the life of Joe Ivy. While this brought stability and consistency to the grant program, it also effectively reduced the amount of money available to be given out as grants each year from around $1600 to $1000 – a significant reduction.
     All of this has now changed again, however, because deceased NSS Caver Ron Simmons very generously remembered this NSS fund in his life insurance policy. Over $100,000 was added to the endowment for this fund thanks to Ron. His contribution to international American caving is going to be huge. We expect that starting with the 2008-2009 NSS fiscal year to be able to grant up to $6000 each year. In light of this the NSS International Exploration Committee (Joel Despain, chair, Cyndie Walck, Pat Kambesis, Kevin Downey, Carol Vesely, and Becky Jones) has reorganized the grant giving process. See below for details.

Grant Timing and Size

Grants will be awarded twice per year: February 1 and August 1. As such the deadline for a grant request for a given 6 month period will be January 1 and July 1, giving a month for the committee to process grant requests. However, the committee will always try to consider special requests and faster turn around times for expeditions that need this service. Please contact us directly. With the new funding grants are expected to range between $500 and $1500.

Ron Simmons Award

One grant per year, generally the largest, will be known as the Ron Simmons Award in honor of Ron’s contribution to the International Exploration Fund.

Group Equipment

Grants can be used for group equipment. This includes, but is not limited to, rope, survey gear, SAR gear, guides and porters, ground or boat transportation and other in-country travel, group meals, and specialty food such as freeze dried. Group equipment generally does not include personal plane tickets and personal caving gear.

Grant Requirements and Communication

The Committee is not prepared to fund expeditions whose results are secret or to be kept from other cavers. However, specific cave location information need not be shared. There are only a few grant requirements:
A paragraph or two long description of the expedition, preferably with a photo, for the NSS web page deliverable before the expedition begins.

A paragraph or two description of the results of the expedition with a few photos for the NSS web page deliverable after the expedition members return to the States.

An NSS News article or a presentation at the NSS Convention International Exploration Session on the project. Both are particularly nice.

To Apply:
Send an email at any time (note the deadlines and grant review times above) to Joel Despain that includes the following information:
Expedition location and dates (approximate is fine)

Objectives and hoped-for outcomes

Personnel and number of NSS members participating

Brief Budget including what the grant will be used for

Expedition special circumstances such as other funding sources, international cooperation or exchange efforts, restrictions on media sharing (such as with National Geographic) etc.

Brief information on permits and permissions necessary for the expedition
Joel Despain
Cave Specialist for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271
559 565-3717
joel_despain@nps.gov

The 20 meter tall main entrance to Spirit
River Cave, found on the 2000 Gunung
Buda Project Expediton, partially funded
by the NSS.
Photo by Bill Frantz

Some Previous Grants Awarded by the International Exploration Committee:

2000 Gunung Buda Expedition to Sarawak Malaysia, $600

2002 Megalaya Expedition to Northeastern India, $500

2003 Cheve Expedition to Oaxaca, Mexico, $800

2003 Gilf Kebir Expedition to Western Egypt, $300

A remote cave-exploration camp, donned "Happy Camp" in Gunung Buda National Park. The camp was used during the 2000 expediton to this area.
Photo by Andy Porter