The late Samuel P. Welles, retired museum scientist of the University of California's Museum of Paleontology, left a generous bequest to the Museum to promote research on the Museum's collections, particularly those of Mesozoic vertebrates from the Colorado Plateau and others on which he worked.

The Museum's collections database can be accessed through our website at ucmp.berkeley.edu/science/collections.php. For questions about vertebrate specimens, please contact Pat Holroyd. For fossil plants, contact Diane Erwin; for all other specimens, Mark Goodwin.

Allowable expenses include travel and lodging; food and supplies are generally not provided, except to foreign visitors when currency exchange is a problem. A more detailed list of the terms and conditions is available on the Terms for Recipients page. Most awards are less than $1000. Please list other sources of support for your work, as applicable. Students from California campuses should seek intercampus travel funds prior to application. We like cost-sharing when possible.

Important note for foreign applicants:
If you are traveling from outside the United States, allow ample time (up to four months) to obtain the proper visa. Most foreign colleagues supported by grants from the Welles Fund enter the United States on a J-1 or WB visa, but circumstances vary for each visitor. For more information, visit the UC Berkeley Services for International Students and Scholars Web site at http://www.ias.berkeley.edu/siss/. Please consult with Jeanne Kassis, Human Resources Manager (kassj@berkeley.edu) for individual assistance and to obtain the relevant forms. Visitors without the proper visa may be turned back at port of entry, and may be ineligible to receive the Welles Fund grant.

Applications that most closely fulfill the above criteria have the best chance of being funded.

View a list of Awardees (visited or formally scheduled)