The Los Angeles Post

Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County Receive More Than $6.4M in Science and Research Grants

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Grants Will Fund Research in Biodiversity, Climate Change, Human Activities, and Extinction and Provide Support for Mentoring the Next Generation of Natural History Researchers


Los Angeles, CA (September 26, 2022) — The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) have received $6,460,688 million with 15 science, humanities, and research grants in 2021 and 2022, marking the most successful years of awards in the museums’ history. Six grants were awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and others were made by the Association of Science and Technology Centers, Boeing, California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Institute for Biodiversity, Glendale Community College Foundation, Haynes Foundation, Louis B. Mayer Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Projects that were funded range from conservation paleobiology and restoration of urban areas; history, film, and insect collections digitization; to local projects on biodiversity, and indigenous artists and arts.

 

“The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) is a vital and unique organization that stewards research in a variety of scientific and cultural fields as well as a collection of more than 35 million specimens and objects, while serving Los Angeles and the international community at large,” said Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, NHMLAC president and director. “Today, scientific and collections inquiries are more important than ever, and on behalf of our scientists and curators, we are so proud of being awarded these significant grants, enabling further understanding of our changing world. I congratulate all our staff members who have been successful at securing funds for their important research, and look forward to seeing the positive impact new mentorship programs will have on future generations.”

 

Among the received grants, two sought-after and highly competitive National Science Foundation grants, totaling nearly $3.5 million, have been awarded to NHMLAC scientists. One grant for $2.9 million – the largest single grant that the Research & Collections department has ever received — will fund the postbaccalaureate mentoring program “RaMP: Understanding Nature and Los Angeles Biodiversity through Museum Collections and Field-based Research (UNLAB),” which will facilitate biodiversity research, mentorship, professional development, and educational enrichment for mentees. This collaborative grant, awarded to Drs. Jann Vendetti, Kayce Bell, Austin Hendy, Jody Martin, and Allison Shultz, will enable a mentorship program based at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in Exposition Park. A second award, a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant for $657,455, has been awarded to Dr. Emily Lindsey to further her work in end-Pleistocene environmental changes related to climate change, human activities, and extinction. Dr. Lindsey’s grant also funds a mentorship program that will take place at a research site in Peru.

 

Additionally, the California Department of Parks and Recreation awarded $666,696 to NHMLAC through the new Outdoor Equity Grants Program for “Wild L.A.: Exploring the Amazing Nature In and Around L.A.” which seeks to increase participation in outdoor experiences at state parks and other public lands. The funding will help establish a hub for local activities and trips to natural areas for South L.A. communities, while also empowering youth and families with outdoor leadership education, career pathways, environmental justice engagement, and access to nature.

 

The majority of the awarded projects were proposed by curators and collections staff in NHMLAC’s Research and Collections Department, the research division of the museums. NHMLAC’s research staff creates new knowledge through academic scholarship in history and science, and maintains a world-renowned collection of over 35 million specimens and artifacts. They work as a collective with museum visitors, digital audiences, partners, and communities, and build an inclusive, welcoming network and institution by engaging in dialogue that transcends political, cultural, and social boundaries. Their research activities are funded primarily by external grants and contracts, and by private donors.

 

“These incredible grant successes illustrate our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and mentorship, while fostering research and activating our collections for the benefit of society,” said Dr. Luis Chiappe, NHMLAC’s Senior Vice President of Research & Collections and Gretchen Augustyn Director of NHM’s Dinosaur Institute. “I am excited by the diversity of projects, from urban biodiversity and community engagement to asphaltic fossils and parasite evolution, and by our dynamic staff who are committed to developing pathways for the professional development of future scientists and museum staff.”