Christine Stevens Wildlife Award is a grant from the Animal Welfare Institute that funds innovative research on humane, nonlethal strategies for wildlife conflict management and improved wildlife study methods. Named for AWI's late founder, the award supports new techniques and technologies for humanely resolving conflicts involving coyotes, deer, bears, invasive species, and other animals.

Studies must be conducted within the United States, Canada, or Mexico, with preference for novel methodologies or innovative use of existing technologies. Researchers and organizations addressing human-wildlife conflicts are eligible. Awards provide up to $15,000 per recipient.

Christine Stevens Wildlife Awards Christine Stevens Wildlife Awards An award program to fund innovative strategies for humane, nonlethal wildlife conflict management and improved methods of wildlife study. Now through April 20, 2026, AWI is accepting applications for its 2026 Christine Stevens Wildlife Awards.

This award program provides up to $15,000 to recipients to help spur innovative research on humane, nonlethal tools and techniques for wildlife conflict management and for studying wildlife. Habitat destruction and degradation, urban and suburban sprawl, and ongoing challenges posed by invasive species make conflicts between wildlife and humans inevitable.

Homeowners, property managers, and biologists need humane, effective strategies to deal with conflicts—whether the encounter involves coyotes, deer, Canada geese, bears, exotic species, or a host of other animals. Though improved techniques to address some situations have been developed, more are needed. Similarly, methodologies used to study wildlife need to be humane.

The Christine Stevens Wildlife Awards—named in honor of the organization’s late founder and president for over 50 years—was created to stimulate and support efforts to (1) devise new, nonlethal techniques and strategies and test existing products for the purpose of humanely remedying wildlife conflicts and (2) improve methods of wildlife study.

With this award program we aim to honor Mrs. Stevens’ legacy and inspire a new generation of compassionate wildlife scientists, managers, and advocates. To qualify for the award, the study must be conducted within the United States , Canada, and/or Mexico. Studies using new methodologies or that involve the innovative use of existing technologies are particularly welcome.

Award recipients must agree to submit a 500-word summary of their study findings and at least two photographs related to their research approximately one year after receipt of funding for potential publication in the AWI Quarterly magazine. Previous award winners do not qualify for a new award for the same study in consecutive years.

Where applicable, award recipients will be required to provide documentation of IACUC approval (or similar approvals for educational institutions in Canada or Mexico) for their study. Award funds cannot be used to pay for any indirect costs. Questions about this award program or the application should be directed to [email protected] Christine Stevens has long been called the “Mother of the Animal Protection Movement” in America.

For over half a century, she dedicated her life to reducing animal suffering both here and abroad. In the words of Dr. Jane Goodall: “Christine Stevens was a giant voice for animal welfare. Passionate, yet always reasoned, she took up one cause after another and she never gave up.

Millions of animals are better off because of Christine’s quiet and very effective advocacy. ” Christine founded the Animal Welfare Institute to end the cruel treatment of animals in experimental laboratories.

Inevitably, her work expanded to take on other animal welfare causes, including preventing animal extinctions due to anthropogenic causes, reforming methods used to raise animals for food, banning steel-jaw leghold traps, ending commercial whaling, and much more.

Christine supported wildlife management programs that were “win-win” situations—such as highway underpasses to facilitate wildlife movements, wildlife birth control, beaver bafflers to minimize or prevent beaver-caused flooding, and perching platforms that protect raptors from electrocution.

Proposals Awarded Funding in 2025 Nate Denke, University of Washington, to use noninvasive bioacoustics monitoring and trail signage (with input from local tribes) to examine the impact of recreation on sensitive birds in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Dr. Lorenzo Fiori, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, to deploy drones to assess the nutritional health of bottlenose dolphins foraging among shrimp trawlers in Corpus Christi Bay.

Rushil Kukreja, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, to test whether reducing nighttime light intensity in designated dark corridors in Virginia and Maryland enhances the activity of pollinators (e.g., honeybees, bumblebees) and plant reproductive rates. Dr. Maureen H.

Murray, Lincoln Park Zoo, to evaluate the use of contraceptive food pellets as a nonlethal strategy to humanely reduce urban rat populations in the Chicago area. Dr. Nico(la) Ransome, National Whale Museum of Mexico/Murdoch University, to use passive acoustic monitoring, photo-identification, and noninvasive DNA collection to investigate the presence of beaked whales in the Islas Marias UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Mexico.

Dr. Ronnie Serfa Juan, US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and Kansas State University, to develop AI-driven, nonlethal deterrence techniques to protect birds, including Canada geese, great blue herons, and egrets, while reducing their impact on aquaculture operations.

Dr. Logan Thomas, Kansas State University, to use camera-monitored hair snares to noninvasively collect samples from javelina to determine how they cope physiologically with human-wildlife conflicts and seasonal environmental stressors in South Texas.

Jasmine Veitch, University of Calgary, to use genetic analysis of fecal samples from Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep to examine microbial transmission and pathogenic potential of livestock interactions. Proposals Awarded Funding in 2024 Dr. Nevé Baker, University of Minnesota, for using environmental DNA to monitor biological communities supported by beaver engineering in agricultural areas.

Dr. Carlos Delgado Martínez, National Autonomous University of Mexico, to develop tools to promote coexistence of beekeeping and wildlife in Calakmul, Mexico. Katelyn Depot, McGill University, to test noninvasive techniques to monitor the diet of the tufted puffin, a declining seabird species. Dr. Emily Fairfax, University of Minnesota, to assess electronic tags to track beavers.

Dr. Myra Finkelstein, University of California, Santa Cruz, to determine if feathers can be used to noninvasively assess health effects from lead exposure in eagles. Anmol Karan and Shaurya Jain, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, to test the effectiveness of biosonic and ultrasonic repellent strategies to help prevent deer-vehicle collisions.

Dr. Susan McRae, East Carolina University, to use scent lures to increase the effectiveness of trail cameras to noninvasively monitor eastern black rails, a threatened marsh bird species. Dr. Valeria Vergara, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, to develop a collaborative underwater noise monitoring and mapping initiative to improve protection of at-risk species.

Proposals Awarded Funding in 2023 Dr. Susan Ellis-Felege of the University of North Dakota to determine if less invasive aerial surveys can replace ground surveys to measure populations of prairie grouse. Dr. Austin Green of the University of Utah to investigate the effects of humans’ weekend recreational activities on wildlife breeding behavior and habitat use patterns.

Chelsea Greer of Raincoast Conservation Foundation to assess the effects of commonly used motion-activated camera models on the behavior of gray wolves in British Columbia, Canada.

Dr. Jack Hopkins of the Center for Wildlife Studies to analyze the nail tips of captive spotted, wood, and Blanding’s turtles (held for educational purposes or in rehabilitation centers awaiting release) to determine if they are captive-bred or sourced from the wild, helping to combat the illegal turtle trade.

Dr. Robert Long of Woodland Park Zoo to develop a synthetic liquid attractant for studying wild carnivores that will replace scents manufactured from animal products.

Dr. Annie Loosen of the University of Northern British Columbia and Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative to study the relationship between human recreational activities and wildlife conservation, focusing on wolverines, grizzly bears, and mountain caribou in Canada. Rae Nickerson of Utah State University to investigate the efficacy of range riders to reduce predator-livestock conflicts across the American West.

Anastasia Rahlin of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to develop noninvasive environmental DNA methods to sample a variety of marsh bird populations around Chicago, helping to improve conservation and management of the species.

Proposals Awarded Funding in 2022 Molly Alves of Utah State University and the Tulalip Tribes for a metanalysis of beaver relocation data to inform humane and successful methodologies and policies for beaver translocations. Hee Jin Chung of the University of California, Davis to explore the individual variation in domestic house cats’ hunting behavior and test the efficacy of intervention method to reduce predation.

Dr. Catherine Haase of Austin Peay State University to assess fine-scale use of artificial roosts by bats in response to microclimate conditions. Dr. K. David Hyrenbach of Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge to use light pollution measurements to predict wedge-tailed shearwater fallout hotspots in O’ahu, Hawai’i.

Kristen Mazzarella of Mote Marine Laboratory to use satellite telemetry to study the movement patterns of rehabilitated adult male sea turtles. Dr. Benjamin Sacks of the University of California, Davis for the noninvasive use of alpine carnivores to find and map endangered keystone prey along California’s Pacific Crest.

Monica Serrano of the University of California, Davis for the use of a noninvasive genetic analysis to characterize and monitor San Francisco’s urban coyote population. Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard and Dr. Valeria Vergara of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation to monitor at-risk whales and monitor ocean noise using noninvasive technologies in the Salish Sea.

Proposals Awarded Funding in 2021 Cody Aylward of University of California, Davis for developing and implementing a novel, noninvasive genetic survey of the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse .

Dr. Zoe Hanley of Defenders of Wildlife for testing and evaluating advanced radio-activated guard box technology to deter gray wolves from killing livestock in grazing areas in select western states, thereby further developing an important tool for reducing predator-livestock conflicts.

Dr. Karen Herman of Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary for evaluating refined PZP-22 fertility control vaccines for wild horses in the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico, and monitoring the results to develop long-term, minimally invasive, and sustainable herd management.

Dr. Aerin Jacob of Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative for measuring winter recreation and how it may affect at-risk species, including wolverines and grizzly bears, in the Canadian Rockies.

Dr. Susan McRae of East Carolina University for developing noninvasive monitoring techniques, including the use of infrared trail cameras and collecting and analyzing environmental DNA from soil and water samples, to improve the conservation of threatened eastern black rails in North Carolina.

Dr. Maureen Murray of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University for investigating rodenticide exposure among red-tailed hawks, with broader implications for other birds of prey. Dr. Beth Brady of Mote Marine Laboratory for using novel technologies, including aerial drones and acoustic recordings, to investigate how Antillean manatees are affected by tour boats in Mexico’s Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.

Dr. Tracey Tuberville of University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory for evaluating the suitability of repatriating confiscated and rehabilitated Eastern box turtles —recovered from the illegal wildlife trade—back into the wild.

Dr. Jessica Castillo Vardaro of San Jose State University for assessing the American pika population’s vulnerability to various threats, including climate change and livestock grazing, through genetic analysis of their fecal pellets. Proposals Awarded Funding in 2020 Tali Caspi of the University of California, Davis for linking the diet of coyotes to human-coyote interactions in an urban environment.

Samantha Kreling of the University of Washington for investigating urban coyote diet using noninvasive metagenomics. Kristy Ferraro of Yale University Forestry & Environmental Studies for using isotopic signatures to track migratory wildlife food acquisition and nutrient deposition.

Dr. Anik Boileau of the Sept-Iles Research & Education Centre for validating infrared thermography as a noninvasive tool to measure stress in free-ranging whales. Kiah Williams of Tulane University for assessing the causes of nest failure in three beach-nesting bird species using camera surveillance.

Samuel Hervey of Michigan Technological University for developing a noninvasive genetic sampling tool to conserve emblematic American wolf populations . Rob Walton of The Beaver Coalition for empowering nonlethal solutions to human/beaver conflicts. Dr. Melanie Murphy of the University of Wyoming for assessing amphibian population trends in southeast Wyoming using a community science approach.

Proposals Awarded Funding in 2019 Timothy Boycott of the College of William & Mary for projecting acoustic signals to reduce bird collisions with human-made structures in open airspace . Dr. Angela Dassow of Carthage College for passively tracking the locations of packs of wild gray wolves in central Wisconsin through acoustic monitoring of their howls in order to reduce human-wolf conflicts. Dr. Karen Herman of Mt.

Taylor Mustangs for using population surveys and science-based fertility control to develop a humane, sustainable herd management plan for the free-roaming herd of horses in Placitas, New Mexico. Dr. William Holben of the University of Montana for conducting noninvasive analysis of scat samples of North American elk to identify microbial biomarkers for wildlife disease management.

Naomi Louchouarn of the University of Wisconsin-Madison for investigating the effects of using range riders trained in low-stress handling to return herding instincts to livestock , making them less vulnerable to attacks by large carnivores in southwestern Alberta.

Paige Singer of Rocky Mountain Wild for collecting valuable wildlife data to inform the design of the Vail Pass Wildlife Byway in Colorado , which would improve landscape connectivity for multiple species. Proposals Awarded Funding in 2018 Dr. James Anderson of West Virginia University for developing noninvasive genetic and environmental DNA methods for monitoring salamander distribution to aid in conservation efforts.

Stacy Cotey of Michigan Tech University for analyzing the snow tracks left by northern river otters to create individual genetic profiles to better monitor the animals’ behaviors, population numbers and genetic diversity. Dr. Maureen Murray of the Tufts University Wildlife Clinic for determining accurate methods of screening red-tailed hawks to document exposure to dangerous anticoagulant rodenticides.

Dr. Susan Parks of Syracuse University for using noninvasive digital acoustic tags to quantify how often Florida manatees are involved in close encounters with oceangoing vessels and to assess their behavioral responses. Christine Proctor of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology for using thermal imaging captured via drones to evaluate the population status of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake , a threatened species.

Dr. Tracey Tuberville of the University of Georgia for studying the dispersal, health and survival of “waif” gopher tortoises (gopher tortoises who have been injured, collected illegally or have unknown origins), to determine whether these formerly captive tortoises are suitable for release into the wild.

Dr. Andrew Von Duyke of the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management for monitoring polar bears of the Alaska-Chukotka subpopulation by sampling environmental DNA from snow tracks to genetically “fingerprint” individual animals and estimate the size of the subpopulation.

Proposals Awarded Funding in 2017 Dr. Stewart Breck of the USDA’s National Wildlife Research Center and Colorado State University for improving fladry, a nonlethal tool to deter coyotes and thereby reduce predation pressure on the endangered black-footed ferret.

Dr. Elizabeth Burgess of the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium for developing noninvasive biomarkers to better monitor threats to the health of Florida manatees. Beth A. Fitzpatrick of the University of Wyoming for studying the effectiveness of noninvasive methods to monitor greater sage-grouse populations.

Dr. Rachel Graham of MarAlliance for a noninvasive study to document and conserve ray species along Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Jason Holmberg of Wild Me for modernizing the study of Hawaiian hawksbill sea turtles using noninvasive photo-identification tools and computer technology.

Dr. Andrea Morehouse of Waterton Biosphere Reserve for assessing the effectiveness of nonlethal mitigation strategies to reduce conflicts involving grizzly bears and livestock .

Proposals Awarded Funding in 2016 Dr. Karen Herman and Dr. Allen Rutberg of Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary for developing more humane methods to assess wild horse population size and distribution in order to guide the use of immunocontraception for population management.

Dr. Brooke Maslo of Rutgers University for evaluating artificial roost structures to minimize the impact on bats evicted from human-occupied dwellings , and for determining which factors contribute to structure use. Suzanne Stone of Defenders of Wildlife for testing the E-shepherd collar as a nonlethal deterrent to predators in order to protect sheep in the northwestern United States.

Dr. Deborah Woollett and Dr. Ngaio Richards of Working Dogs for Conservation for using scent detection dogs to detect the presence of anticoagulant rodenticides and develop mitigation measures to protect the endangered San Joaquin kit fox in California.

Proposals Awarded Funding in 2015 Dr. Brian Darby of the University of North Dakota : New research on non-invasive methods to monitor polar bears Pieter Folkens of the Alaska Whale Foundation : Developing a new and less invasive method to free entangled whales < Kristine Inman of the Wildlife Conservation Society: Research to create and test wildlife-friendly fencing Dr. Mary Beth Manjerovic of the Lincoln Park Zoo : New research on non-invasive methods to monitor amphibian health and stress Dr. Christine Sheppard of the American Bird Conservancy : Developing a new method to test glass samples to reduce bird collisions Proposals Awarded Funding in 2014 Dr. Duff Kennedy of Santa Barbara Zoo: California condor nest-guarding program Professor Janet Mann of Georgetown University: Noninvasive hormone monitoring in captive and wild cetaceans: collection and analysis of blow as a novel stress test Suzanne Stone of Defenders of Wildlife: Assessing the efficacy of foxlights in reducing wolf-livestock conflict Dr. Ron Sutherland of Wildlands Network: Ecological impacts of the red wolf in eastern North Carolina Dr. Rob Williams of Oceans Initiative: Compassionate conservation: assessing sustainability and welfare aspects of marine mammal deaths in British Columbia salmon farms Proposals Awarded Funding in 2013 Dr. David Bird of McGill University: Use of a remotely piloted aerial system to census raptor nests Dr. Anthony Clevenger of the Western Transportation Institute: Developing a noninvasive method of locating wolverine maternal areas at a landscape scale Dr. Peter Coppolillo of Working Dogs for Conservation: Safeguarding Montana’s wildlife from aquatic contaminants noninvasively, using conservation canines Jennifer Mae-White Day of the University of Washington: Preventing human-wildlife conflicts through noninvasive landscape-level analysis of habitat requirements and connectivity Dr. Kerry Foresman of the University of Montana: Hair traps: A noninvasive methodology for shrews and other small mammals in Montana Dr. Michael Sawaya of Sinopah Wildlife Research Associates: Coupling noninvasive genetic sampling methods with cellular-enabled remote cameras to improve detection rates Proposals Awarded Funding in 2012 Michael Callahan of Beaver Solutions LLC: Enable salmon passage at beaver water control devices Dr. Joshua Miller of the Florida Museum of Natural History: Antlers of the arctic refuge: revealing historical caribou calving grounds from bones on the tundra Dr. Maureen Murray of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University: Rodenticides in four species of birds of prey: assessing results of recent EPA action Dr. Jooke Robbins of Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies: Humpback whale entanglement rates in relation to management initiatives Laurel Klein Serieys of the University of California, Los Angeles: The sublethal consequences of anticoagulant exposure in bobcats Proposals Awarded Funding in 2011 Antonia Rodrigues of Simon Fraser University: Developing techniques to recover and analyze DNA from processed pangolin products for combating illegal wildlife trade David Ausband of the University of Montana: Biofence: A non-lethal tool for deterring wolf/livestock conflicts Dr. Thomas Gehring and Robert Truax of Central Michigan University: Developing a noninvasive technique for estimating bobcat populations : implications for imperiled felids Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflicts on Vail Pass in Colorado AWI Quarterly Article, Winter 2022 Use of Roost Boxes by Bats Evicted from Manmade Structures AWI Quarterly Article, Fall 2022 Using Computer Simulations to Study Jaguar Gene Flow Through Mexico AWI Quarterly Article, Summer 2022 Assessing the Usefulness of Blood Samples to Monitor for Exposure to Anticoagulant Rodenticide in Red-Tailed Hawks AWI Quarterly Article, Spring 2022 Using Noninvasive Digital Acoustic Tags to Track Florida Manatees AWI Quarterly Article, Winter 2021 An Island of Misfit Tortoises: Providing Sanctuary for Waif Gopher Tortoises While Recovering Wild Populations AWI Quarterly Article, Summer 2021 Using Acoustics to Reduce Avian Collisions with Tall Structures AWI Quarterly Article, Spring 2021 Sound Science: Tracking Gray Wolves by Their Howls AWI Quarterly Article, Winter 2020 BarkLight Collars on Guard Dogs Could Help Protect Livestock AWI Quarterly Article, Winter 2020 Keeping “Track” of Northern River Otters AWI Quarterly Article, Fall 2020 Resources for Improving Welfare AWI Refinement Research Award AWI Implementing Refinement Grant Replacing Animals in Experimentation: New Approach Methodologies NAM Techniques: In Chemico, In Vitro, In Silico Where NAMs Fit in the Current Research Landscape NAM Resources for Policymakers NAM Resources for Scientists NAM Resources for Students Envigo/Inotiv Dog Breeder Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. 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