Grant Recipients – Illinois Ornithological Society

2024 Grants Summary

This year 7 grant proposals were fully funded, totaling $17,000 in research dollars! IOS has now funded 140 grants, awarding over $137,000 since the program’s inception.

One of IOS’s objectives is “To promote scientific research and education in order to improve knowledge and awareness of birds in Illinois”. The IOS Grants Program was initiated several years ago to support this objective with funding.

The 2024 IOS Grants Program received fourteen requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal to determine this year’s recipients. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by five organizations and many individuals made it possible for the 2024 grant recipient to receive full funding for their projects.

Sponsor Organizations:
Dupage Birding Club
Illinois Audubon Society
Lake-Cook Audubon Society
Chicago Ornithological Society
Evanston North Shore Bird Club

Thanks to all! Without the generosity of these organizations and IOS members and friends in the bird conservation community, IOS would not be able to support these projects. The support exemplified by this funding sends an important message to these students and researchers: We believe in your work, and we care about the future of our state’s bird life!

Thanks to Dustin Weidner, John Leonard and Matt Hayes for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark. Following is a synopsis of the 2024 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Project Lead	Project	Fully Sponsored by
Mike Avara University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	The stopover and wintering behavior of Northern Saw-whet Owls in Illinois	Bob Fisher
Avi Berger University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	A Novel Approach to Investigating Developmental Changes in Eggshell Thickness	Illinois Audubon Society
Carlos Calzada University of Chicago & Field Museum of Natural History	West Nile Virus Epizootic in the FMNH’s Bird Collection: Evidence for Pathogen-driven Selection?	Dupage Birding Club
Mac Chamberlain University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Social and genetic monogamy in the Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater)	Individuals & Illinois Ornithological Society
Avery Dart Illinois State University	Effects of extra-pair paternity on provisioning effort in male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon)	Illinois Audubon Society
Ramona Pollard The Nature Institute	Mapping Birds for Restoration: Use of Passive Bird Monitoring to Create Targeted Restoration Efforts	Individuals, Chicago Ornithological Society & Illinois Ornithological Society
Anastasia Rahlin Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	Investigating Marsh and Sedge Wren diets with fecal metabarcoding across a wetland urbanization gradient	Lake-Cook Audubon Society

2024 Project Summary & Abstracts

2023 Grants Summary

This year we were able to fund 3 grant proposals! This brings the total to 133 grants and over $120,500 awarded since the program’s inception, through this year.

The 2022 IOS Grants Program received ten requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by four organizations and many individuals made it possible for all of the 2023 grant requests to be fully funded.

Sponsor Organizations:
DuPage Birding Club
Illinois Audubon Society
Lake-Cook Audubon Society
Illinois Ornithological Society

Thanks to you all! Without the generosity of these organizations and IOS members and friends in the bird conservation community, IOS would not be able to support these projects. The support exemplified by this funding sends an important message to these students and researchers: We believe in your work, and we care about the future of our state’s bird life!

Thanks to John Leonard and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2023 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Recipient	Affiliation	Project
Abhay Agarwal	Sanctuary for the Skies	Sanctuary For The Skies
Avery Dart	Illinois State University	Effects of extra-pair paternity on provisioning effort and nest defense in male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon)
Adrianna Yoder	DePaul University	Habitat Characteristics & Seasonality of Red-headed Woodpecker Cavity Use

2022 Grants Summary

This year we were able to fund 9 grant proposals! This brings the total to 130 grants and over $117,000 awarded since the program’s inception, through this year.

Sponsor Organizations:
DuPage Birding Club
Illinois Audubon Society
Lake-Cook Audubon Society
Illinois Ornithological Society

Thanks to John Leonard and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2022 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Recipient	Affiliation	Project
Sarah Stewart	University of Illinois	Hesitant Heterotherms: Predictors of Torpor Use in a Midwestern Whip-poor-will Population
Cheyenne Beach	Northern Illinois University	Trematodiasis Monitoring in Hunter-Harvested Waterfowl of the Mississippi River System
Mac Chmaberlain	University of Illinois	Effects of cowbird chatter call on juvenile roosting behaviors
Sarah Winnicki-Smith	University of Illinois	Maternal effects, gut microbiomes, and growth of American Robins (Turdus migratorius)
Gerald W. Heinrich	Midewin Tallgrass Prairie Alliance	Bald Eagle Viewing Scope
Christopher Gutmann	Glen Ellyn Park District	Use of Passive Bird Monitoring to Create Adolescent Birders
Matthew Scerbicke	Western Illinois University	Fear of Feathers: Do nest decorations deter nest usurpation and brood parasitism?
Dairo Gbenga Sunday	Western Illinois University	An experimental test of food supplementation on competitive and host-parasite interactions in a secondary cavity-nesting songbird
Louise Bodt	University of Chicago & Field Museum of Natural History	The Introduced European Goldfinch in Illinois

2021 Grants Summary

This year we were able to fund 8 grant proposals submitted! Which brings our total to 121 grants and $108,511 awarded since the program’s inception, through this year.

The 2021 IOS Grants Program received eight requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by four organizations and many individuals made it possible for all of the 2021 grant requests to be fully funded.

Sponsor Organizations:
DuPage Birding Club
Illinois Audubon Society
Lake-Cook Audubon Society

Thanks to John Leonard and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2021 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Recipient	Affiliation	Project	Fully Sponsored by
Julianne Bozzo	University of Illinois	Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) migration and site fidelity in Illinois	Illinois Audubon Society
Blake Baum	Southern Illinois University	Effects of Habitat Management and Raptor Abundance on Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) Habitat Selection and Population Ecology	Lake-Cook Audubon Society
Alex Glass	Southern Illinois University	The effects of habitat structure on grassland songbird nest success, mediated through predator activity and food availability	Individual Sponsors and Illinois Ornithological Society
Chad Cremer	University of Illinois	Connectivity of Migratory Virginia Rail Using Illinois River Valley Wetlands	Illinois Audubon Society
Peggy Simonsen	Citizens for Conservation	Shrubland Bird Study	Illinois Audubon Society
Gracie McMahon	Independent	Creating Avian Sculptures Out of Found Trash and Recyclables to be Installed Around Winnebago County to Spread Awareness About Bird Conservation	Dupage Birding Club & Illinois Ornithological Society
Katie Vogler	Illinois Wesleyan University	Determining Latitudinal Summer Origins and Subspecies Distribution of Wintering Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) in Illinois	Dupage Birding Club
David Hohl	DePaul University	Urban habitat effects on tree cavity availability & bird population trends	Illinois Audubon Society

2020 Grants Summary: Over $100k in Grants

This year we were able to fund 4 grant proposals submitted! Which brings our total to 113 grants and $100,521 awarded since the program’s inception, through this year. That means we hit the 100 thousand mark in grant money awarded to projects related to research and education about birds in Illinois!

The 2020 IOS Grants Program received five requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by four organizations and many individuals made it possible for all of the 2020 grant requests to be fully funded.

Sponsor Organizations:
Chicago Audubon Society
DuPage Birding Club
Illinois Audubon Society
Lake-Cook Audubon Society

Thanks to John Andrews and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2020 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Recipient	Affiliation	Project	Fully Sponsored by
Auriel Fournier	University of Illinois	Automated radio telemetry to track the migratory movements of wetland birds	Lake-Cook Audubon
Stephanie Schmidt	Illinois State University	Predation Risk at Marsh Bird Nests as a Result of Wetland Management at Emiquon Preserve (Havana, IL)	Chicago Audubon Society & Dupage Birding Club
Daniel Goldberg	Illinois State University	Disentangling the Effects of Visual and Acoustic Cues on Nocturnal Settlement Patterns in Soras	Illinois Audubon Society
Rachael Heaton	Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville	Does the addition of nest boxes to Illinois bottomland forest habitats improve the density of prothonotary warblers, Protonotaria citrea?	Illinois Audubon Society

2019 Grants Summary

This year we were able to fund all 6 grant proposals submitted! Which totals 109 grants and $95,521 awarded since the program’s inception, through this year.

The 2019 IOS Grants Program received six requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by four organizations and many individuals made it possible for all of the 2019 grant requests to be fully funded.

Sponsor Organizations:
DuPage Birding Club

Individual Sponsors:
Margaret Busic
Glenn Gabanski
Davida and Dale Kalina
Scott Meister

Thanks to John Andrews and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2019 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Recipient	Affiliation	Project	Fully Sponsored by
Ian Souza-Cole	University of Illinois	Investigating the Behavior and Habitat Use of Eastern Whip-Poor-Wills (Antrostomus vociferus) in Illinois and Factors Influencing Their Decline	Dupage Birding Club
Daniel Goldberg	Illinois State University	Changes in Calling Behavior as an Antipredator Adaptation: a Test with Illinois Rallids	Individual Sponsors and IOS
Rachel DiSciullo	Illinois State University	Determining Total Sexual Selection on Male Song in Northern House Wrens	Individual Sponsors and IOS
Leah Bieniak	Illinois State University	Determining Species Abundance and Habitat Preferences of Breeding Birds in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois	Dupage Birding Club
Andy Gilbert	University of Illinois	Marsh Bird Monitoring in a Restored Floodplain of the Illinois River	Individual Sponsors and IOS
Claire Johnson	University of Illinois	Unraveling the Mystery of the Black-billed Cuckoo: distribution, habitat use, and behavior	Individual Sponsors and IOS

2018 Grants Summary: The Century Mark!

This year we surpassed 100 grants given out to support a wide variety of bird-related research and conservation projects! A total of 103 grants totaling $90,564 have been awarded since the program’s inception, through this year.

The 2018 IOS Grants Program received nine requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by four organizations and many individuals made it possible for all of the 2018 grant requests to be fully funded.

Sponsor Organizations:
Chicago Ornithological Society
DuPage Birding Club
Lake-Cook Audubon
Kane County Audubon

Individual Sponsors:
Paula Aschim
Denis Bohm
Margie and Alan Busic
Donnie Dann
Sonia Da Silva
Daniel Daubach
Glenna Eaves
Joyce Gettleman
Tamima Itani
Janice Knight
Katy Krigbaum
Rosemary McLeod
Sue Roellig
Marsha Steffen

Thanks to John Andrews and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2018 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Recipient	Affiliation	Project	Fully Sponsored by
Luke Malanchuk	University of Illinois	Abundance and Distribution of Shorebirds in the Illinois River Valley, and Stopover Ecology of Pectoral Sandpipers (Calidris melanotos) in East-Central Illinois.	Chicago Ornithological Society
Benton Hendrickson	Southern Illinois University	Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Selection of Breeding Mississippi (Ictinia mississippiensis) in Southern Illinois	Dupage Birding Club
Abigail Danner	Monmouth College	Do Northern Cardinals and American Goldfinches Use Non-Visual Cues to Determine the Carotenoid Content of a Potential Food Source?	Individual Sponsors and IOS
Daniel Goldberg	Illinois State University	Acoustic and Behavioral Monitoring of Threatened and Declining Rails in Illinois through Call-Playback Surveys and Autonomous Recorders	Dupage Birding Club
Krti Tallam	University of Illinois	Impacts of Human Disturbance on American Robin Incubation	Individual Sponsors and IOS
Todd Jones	University of Illinois	Do pre- to post-fledging carryover effects drive patterns of differential post-fledging survival in altricial songbirds?	Individual Sponsors and IOS
Kayce Miller	DePaul University	Problem-solving performance of songbirds in urban and rural environments	Lake-Cook Audubon
Alex Glass	Southern Illinois University	Responses in grassland bird productivity to habitat structure, management actions, and grassland community dynamics	Individual Sponsors and IOS
Shelby Lawson	University of Illinois	Exploring the Perceptual and Neural Basis of Functional Reference Signaling in Yellow Warblers	Individual Sponsors and IOS

A few 2018 research highlights!

For Luke Malanchuk’s project, VHF transmitters are attached to Pectoral Sandpipers and American Golden-Plovers, in spring, to look at stopover duration and habitat use in the agriculturally dominated landscape of east-central Illinois.

Luke Malanchuk’s project uses five aerial surveys, conducted in both spring and fall, to look at abundance and distribution of shorebirds in the Illinois River Valley, telemetry of Pectoral Sandpipers and American Golden-Plovers in east-central Illinois is conducted in spring.

Field Sparrow nest with newly-hatched nestlings. A big part of Alex’s project is searching for grassland songbird nests and monitoring them to determine success Photo taken just after finding the nest.

Alex Glass holds a prairie kingsnake. Alex surveys for snakes to determine nest predator activity on different grassland patches and how they may respond to land management actions, as well as influence grassland bird nest success.

Kayce Miller fills her bird feeder to attract birds to her experiment on problem-solving in birds.

Kayce Miller sets up a motion-activated camera for her experiment on problem-solving in birds.

2017 IOS Grants Awards

Abigail Blake-Bradshaw, Grant Recipient by Ryan Askren

The 2017 IOS Grants Program received nine requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by five organizations and many individuals (see the alphabetical lists below) made it possible for all of the 2017 grant requests to be fully funded. A total of 94 Grants totaling $82,019 have been awarded since the program’s inception, through this year.

Jill Anderson
Paula Aschim
Denis Bohm
Margie Busic
Sonia Da Silva
Donnie Dann
Pen & Carl Daubach
Glenn Gabanski
Urs Geiser

Cynthia Gray
Eric Gyllenhaal
Tamima Itani
Janice Knight
Mary Krigbaum
Scott Latimer
Cindy Madsen
Vera Miller
Marsha Steffen

Dave Thomas
Ted Wolff
Chicago Ornithological Society
DuPage Birding Club
Kane County Audubon
Lake-Cook Audubon
McHenry County Audubon
Southern Illinois Audubon
Springfield Audubon
Starved Rock Audubon

Thanks to Matt Igleski and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the Grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2017 Grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those Grants for their donations.

Grant Recipient, Heather Herakovich, by Dee Hudson — Grant recipient, Heather Herakovich, by Dee Hudson

#	Amount	Name/Organization	Description/Sponsor
1.	$1,000	Abigail Blake-Bradshaw University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Natural History Survey, and Forbes Biological Station	Wetland quality for waterbirds in Illinois. 3rd year of project; shorebird habitat usage added to project. Sponsored by DuPage Birding Club.
2.	$1,000	Therin Bradshaw Western Illinois University and Forbes Biological Station	Marsh bird use of wetlands managed for waterfowl in Illinois. Sponsored by DuPage Birding Club.
3.	$100	Rachel DiPietro Illinois State University	Constructing a data-based mortality profile for avian tower kills at telecommunication towers in Illinois. Sponsored by IOS.
4.	$1,000	Heather Herakovich Northern Illinois University	The effects of bison reintroduction, prescribed fire, and time since restoration on grassland birds in tallgrass prairie. 2nd year of funding. Sponsored by IOS.
5.	$1,500	Maureen Hurd University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Habitat use and foraging behavior of Chimney Swifts, a rapidly declining and poorly studied species. Sponsored by Lake-Cook Audubon ($1000) and IOS ($500).
6.	$1,000	Alec Luro University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	The function of plumage color in American robins: why do males and females differ in appearance? Sponsored by IOS.
7.	$1,000	James Marshall, Sean Beckmann, and Troy Skwor Rockford University	Patterns of Borrelia burgdorferi infection and antibodies in birds of northern Illinois. Sponsored by IOS.
8.	$1,050	John O’Connell Southern Illinois University, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory	Estimating wetland availability for inundation-dependent birds in Illinois. Sponsored by IOS, Lake-Cook Audubon and Southern Illinois Audubon.
9.	$1,000	Heather Skeen University of Chicago	Effects of seasonality and migration on the microbiome of Swainson’s Thrush. Sponsored by IOS and McHenry County Audubon.

2016 IOS Grants Awards

The 2016 IOS Grants Program received 13 requests for funding. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by five organizations and many individuals (see the alphabetical lists below) made it possible for all of the 2016 grant requests to be fully funded. Funding 13 Grants is a milestone – the largest investment in research on Illinois birds IOS has been able to provide, since the inception of the Grants program!

Jill Anderson
John Baker
Denis Bohm
Donnie Dann
Pen & Carl Daubach
Joy & Jon Duerr
Karen & Bob Fisher
Steve Fluett

Glenn Gabanski
Jon Grainger
Warren Jones
Vera Miller
Joan Norek
Vicky Sroczynski & John Burke
Marsha Steffen
Dave Taliaferro

Chuck Westcott
Ted Wolff
Chicago Ornithological Society
DuPage Birding Club
Kane County Audubon
Lake-Cook Audubon
Lake County Audubon

Thanks to Jeff Walk and Steve Bailey for reviewing and rating all the requests.

Congratulations to the Grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of The Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2016 Grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those Grants for their donations.

#	Amount	Name/Organization	Description/Sponsor
1.	$1,000	Abigail Blake-Bradshaw U of I Urbana, Illinois Natural History Survey, and Forbes Biological Station	Wetland quality for waterbirds in Illinois. Sponsored by DuPage Birding Club.
2.	$1,000	Olivia Choy Northeastern Illinois University	Migration and parasite communities in avian hosts. Sponsored by IOS ($750) and COS ($250).
3.	$1,000	Brett Dorak U of I Urbana and Illinois Natural History Survey	Ecology of wintering Canada Geese in the Chicago metro area. Sponsored by IOS ($500) and individual donors ($500).
4.	$1,000	Elizabeth Errickson U of I Springfield	Winter movements and habitat use of Short-eared Owls in an agriculture-dominated landscape. Sponsored by individual donors.
5.	$1,000	Andrew Gilbert Western Illinois University	Detection and disturbance rates of waterbirds during aerial surveys. Sponsored by IOS.
6.	$1,000	Jesse Hacker DePaul University	Effects of urbanization on neophobic behavior and problem solving performance in American Crows. Sponsored by IOS ($750) and COS ($250).
7.	$1,000	Heather Herakovich Northern Illinois University	The effects of bison reintroduction, prescribed fire, and time since restoration on grassland birds in tallgrass prairie. Sponsored by DuPage Birding Club.
8.	$1,267	Taylor Joray Illinois State University	Summer origins of American Kestrels wintering in Illinois. Sponsored by Lake-Cook Audubon.
9.	$1,000	Jaime L. Lange U of I – Springfield	Spatial and temporal interactions between Brown-headed Cowbirds and bison at Nachusa Grasslands. Sponsored by IOS ($850) and Lake County Audubon ($150).
10.	$1,000	Aderinsola Odetunde Illinois State University	Effects of blood loss and mite infestation on nestling developmental trade-offs and parental provisioning. Sponsored by IOS.
11.	$1,000	Ben O’Neal and Heath Hagy Franklin College and Illinois Natural History Survey	Breeding ecology of waterbirds at Emiquon Preserve. Sponsored by Lake-Cook Audubon.
12.	$1,000	Emilie A. Ospina U of I – Urbana	The role of incubation behavior in shaping developmental physiology in a wild passerine. Sponsored by IOS ($500) and individual donors ($500).
13.	$1,000	Cassandra Wilcoxen U of I – Urbana	Cover crops in an agricultural landscape: Beneficial to birds during spring migration? Sponsored by IOS.

2015 IOS Grants Awards

The 2015 IOS Grant Program received 10 grant requests. As a result of the generosity of several groups and individuals, 10 grants were awarded. In addition to IOS provided funds, thanks to the following groups and individuals for their generous support:

The DuPage Birding Club
The Lake-Cook Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society
The Kane County Audubon Society
The Chicago Ornithological Society
Valyn P. Dall
Joan Norek
Marj Lundy and Jamie Godshalk
Marsha Steffen
Glenn Gabanski
Donald Dann
John C. and Carolyn Baker
Carl and Pen DauBach
Karen and Bob Fisher
Vickie Sroczynski and John Burke
Jeffrey Smith
John Heneghan
Jill Anderson
Urs Geiser
Steve Fluett
Marcia and Bob Shelby
Charles Wescott
Ted Wolff

Thanks to Jeff Walk and Steve Bailey for reviewing and rating all the requests.

Congratulations to the winners and watch for their project articles in future issues of The Meadowlark.

The following grants were awarded:

#	Amount	Name/Organization	Description
1.	$1,000	Alexander Winter Eastern Illinois University	Study the ecological and behavioral implications of Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism on Northern Cardinals. Sponsored by Illinois Ornithological Society.
2.	$980	Bryan Reiley U of I – Champaign	Study the benefits of restored habitats for declining shrubland birds – Specifically Bell’s Vireo and Willow Flycatcher. Sponsored by Karen and Bob Fisher, Vicky Sroczynski and John Burke.
3.	$1,000	Ben O’Neal and Heath Hagy Franklin College. Illinois Natural History Survey	Determine nest success, nest density, and nesting characteristics of marsh birds and other waterbirds at Emiquon Preserve to determine if reconnection to the Illinois River affects these parameters in the future. Sponsored by the Lake-Cook Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society.
4.	$1,000	Phred Benham U of I – Champaign	Study local adaptation to spatially varying environments in widespread species to improve our understanding of how populations might respond to future climate change. Study will use Savannah Sparrow populations. Sponsored by the DuPage Birding Club.
5.	$1,000	Brett Dorak U of I – Champaign / Illinois Natural History Survey	Study Canada Geese wintering in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area. Describe their home ranges, time budgets, roost selection, response to harassment, and movements that may pose a threat to human health and safety.
6.	$1,000	Todd M. Jones U of I – Champaign	Evaluate possible associations between fledgling traits and survival in the Dickcissel with an automated telemetry system. Sponsored by the DuPage Birding Club.
7.	$1,000	Josh Engel	A bird monitoring pilot project will be undertaken during the 2015 growing season with the goal of developing an effective bird monitoring protocol for the Montrose Beach Dunes (MBD) site. Sponsored by Illinois Ornithological Society
8.	$1,000	Tim Lyons U of I – Champaign	Genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation on ring-necked pheasants at the Sibley Pheasant Habitat Area.
9.	$1,000	John R. O’Connell Southern Illinois University – Center for Ecology – Cooperative Wildlife Research Lab	A remote sensing approach to identifying wetland availability for waterfowl, shorebirds and secretive marsh birds in Illinois using satellite radar imaging. Sponsored by the DuPage Birding Club.
10.	$480	Emilie A. Ospina U of I – Champaign	Investigate the effects of predation on nest attentiveness as well as the effects of incubation temperature on immune system response and stress response in American Robin nestlings.