2026 Haury Program
Indigenous Environmental Resilience Graduate Research Awards
Call for Applications
The Haury Program is pleased to announce its annual open call for Haury Indigenous Environmental Resilience Graduate Research Awards proposals to support University of Arizona graduate students doing research relevant to Indigenous environmental resilience.
Priority will be given to applications which address water, energy, and/or food issues and challenges faced by Tribal Nations and other Indigenous peoples, especially those within Arizona.
Please note that Indigenous environmental resilience is a new, narrower focus for this grant program as compared to previous years.
Applicants who seek to work directly with tribes must have experience with, or obtain knowledge and training regarding the relevant tribal laws, regulations, and approvals that govern University research, education and extension work for and with tribes.
The deadline to submit proposals is March 31, 2026. Only complete proposals submitted via the online application portal by the deadline will be considered. No email applications will be accepted this year.
An information session was held in February 18, 2026, and the recording can be accessed here. You can also access the PowerPoint slides both by Haury and NPTAO below:
Award notifications will be provided by May 1, 2026. Award acceptance requirements must be completed by the awardee and awardee department’s business office no later than June 15, 2026, or the award will be forfeited. Funds will be made available and must be spent between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027.
Amount of awards is up to $20,000 per applicant. Funds will be awarded to the project managed by a faculty member for the student research support to be used by the student according to their proposed budget.
Only University of Arizona students are eligible for these funds. Please note that this is a one-time award.
Proposals leading to a successful award must comply with Haury Program award requirements, such as:
- provide a final report by July 31, 2027;
- participate in Cohort gatherings (see below);
- follow all relevant University of Arizona policies,
- practice respectful engagement with Tribal Nations, and
- return all unused funds to the Haury Program at the end of the grant term.
We require the applicants to consult with NPTAO office and/or complete Tribal Consultation Policy Training training in EDGE and/or attend the in-person Course ID: 1278 Tribal Consultation and UA Research/Engagement with Native Communities by the UArizona Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office (NPTAO). Completion of the course prior to this year is allowed. The in-person 2026 session will be held on April 22, 2026 from 1 pm to 3 pm, at Thomas W. Keating Bioresearch Building, Room 103 (1657 E. Helen St.) (sign up here).
Please also review the ABOR 1-118 policy on Tribal Consultation and the University of Arizona Guidelines for Research and Engagement, and other resources offered by University of Arizona Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office (NPTAO).
If awarded, awardees shall participate in at least one Haury Graduate Research Awards Cohort gathering within the grant cycle year, and present their work (can be virtually). Gatherings will be held in September 2026 and April 2027.
Application Details
In order to apply via the online application portal, we suggest the graduate student works closely with their faculty advisor(s) and their Business Office. The following items are required for a full application:
- Research Title
- Research Summary (150 words)
- List of funding received or applied for to conduct this research (both funding source and amounts). Include any other Haury Program funds received towards this research project.
- A two-page letter of support signed by the graduate student’s faculty advisor that describes the advisor’s role and how the funds support the graduate student’s research completion. The letter should include:
- Description of the research the graduate student aims to accomplish in a period not exceeding one year once the award is received. The application should identify what area of Indigenous environmental resilience they are working on, and/or identify how their research responds to the needs of the Indigenous community / tribe, and may support or advance Indigenous environmental resilience.
- Outcomes or deliverables the graduate student intends to produce - for example, research posters, presentations, or publications as part of the research.
- Engagement/dissemination plan for tribal partners and/or campus, with special emphasis on reciprocity with tribal communities.
- An additional attachment is required for all projects and programs with direct tribal research, such as Letter of Support or research approval from a Tribal partner or Tribal Nation and/or certificate of attendance of the Tribal Consultation course by NPTAO (either in EDGE or in-person) and/or notes from consultation with NPTAO.
- Budget (2 Pages Maximum) - Note that this budget proposal must be signed both by a faculty advisor and Business Office. Use the template provided, and include the budget narrative, including justifications for your budgeted amounts. Note: all spending must be allowable expenses per University of Arizona policies, and all equipment purchased under the award is the property of the University of Arizona.
- Timeline (1 Page Maximum) with specific dates and milestones which must correspond to the budget.
- Student CV (2 Pages Maximum)
- Student high resolution photo (around 300 PPI, 150 DPI, or equal to or larger than 1024px width/height, JPG or PNG formats preferred).
For any questions or if you need technical assistance contact Nina Sajovec, Haury Program Manager, at ninasajovec@arizona.edu.
Important Dates at a Glance
- January 21, 2026 – Call for Applications Released, Application Portal Opens
- February 18, 2026 – Information Webinar
- March 31, 2026 – Applications Deadline, Application Portal Closes
- May 1, 2026 - Award Notifications Sent to Successful Applicants
- June 15, 2026 - Award Acceptance Requirements Completed by the Awardee / Department Business Office
- July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 – Funds Available
- September 2, 2026 – First 2026 IRE Graduate Research Awardees Cohort Gathering
- April 2027 (date TBD) - Second 2026 IRE Graduate Research Awardees Cohort Gathering
- July 31, 2027 – Final report due
About the Haury Program
The Agnese Nelms Haury Program (Haury Program for short) is a University of Arizona-embedded philanthropic program established in 2014 with what was at that time the largest bequest ever received by the University. Haury Program is governed by an external Donor Advised Fund Board. Since 2020, the Haury Program has been focusing on advancing Indigenous resilience, especially environmental and water resilience.
By leveraging University of Arizona excellence and resources, the Haury Program invests in people and programs at the University of Arizona, as well as community partnerships and Native Nations directly.
Indigenous Environmental Resilience Graduate Research Awards Program was launched in 2020, and has since awarded 28 graduate scholars. The program is designed and administered by the Haury Program to strengthen the academic pathways for students and scholars of Indigenous environmental resilience, with an emphasis on water, food and energy, and on University of Arizona programs and people devoted to education, research, and outreach associated with federally recognized tribes and other Indigenous peoples. For more information visit our website https://www.haury.arizona.edu.
