Pathfinder Grant

The Pathfinder Grant, previously known as The Exploration Fund Grant, is offered by The Explorers Club, a multidisciplinary society dedicated to advancing field research, scientific exploration, and resource conservation. The program supports graduate and post-graduate students and early-career scientists who are conducting field-based research. The grant is intended to help emerging explorers and researchers pursue transformative work in the field, including projects in remote wilderness, ocean environments, and areas of cultural discovery. The funder describes the opportunity as a way for researchers to turn their ideas into action while expanding knowledge, advancing scientific discovery, and inspiring curiosity about the world. Pathfinder Grant funding may be used for travel, field equipment, research expenses, and other costs that are essential to conducting meaningful fieldwork. Awards typically range from $2,500 to $5,000. The source does not identify a total amount available for the overall grant program, a specific number of awards, an indirect cost limitation, or a defined project performance period. It also does not state that applicants must provide matching funds or cost sharing. The program emphasizes projects that use the applicant's expertise to pursue important research, test innovative ideas, and make meaningful contributions to understanding the world. Eligible applicants are graduate students, post-graduate students, and early-career scientists from any discipline who are conducting field-based research. The source does not impose a stated organizational eligibility requirement or identify a geographic restriction on applicants or project locations. The program's published recipient examples include field projects conducted in the United States and numerous countries internationally. Pathfinder Grant recipients are also welcome to become members of The Explorers Club, providing access to a community of peers and mentors supporting research and interdisciplinary collaboration. Membership is presented as an opportunity for recipients rather than as a stated prerequisite for applying. Applicants submit through the Pathfinder Grant online application form. The funder strongly recommends downloading the form as a worksheet before entering information online and advises applicants to set aside at least two hours to complete the online form. Information is not saved if the browser is closed, and an incomplete or incorrectly completed application may be declined early. Application guidance specifically addresses the project title, project description, video statement, budget, letters of support, ethical concerns, and permits. The project title should be concise and jargon-free. The project description should clearly present the project's background, goals, methodologies, intended outcomes, and potential cultural or environmental impact while avoiding jargon and abbreviations. The application requires a video statement of no more than two to three minutes in which the applicant appears on screen and summarizes the relevance of the work, intended outcomes, and potential impacts. Short footage, maps, or photographs may be incorporated, but the video should primarily feature the applicant. Applicants must ensure that the amount requested on the first page agrees with the total shown on the budget page and should double-check the calculations. Two letters supporting the applicant and project must be uploaded, although confidential letters may instead be sent directly to grants@explorers.org. Applicants must address potential ethical concerns associated with the expedition and explain the status of any required permits. Copies of permits should be attached if already secured and provided to the grants team when received. The source states that applications are being accepted for the 2027 field season and establishes a submission deadline of August 31, 2026 at 6:00 PM ET. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating deadline is identified. The source does not provide a specific award notification date, performance period, or explicit recurring schedule for future Pathfinder Grant competitions, so recurrence should not be assumed. Questions concerning eligibility or the application process may be directed to grants@explorers.org. The Explorers Club's general contact telephone number is (212) 628-8383, although the source specifically directs grant questions to the grants email address.

Download the form as a worksheet before beginning; set aside at least two hours; keep the project title concise and jargon-free; clearly explain background, goals, methodologies, intended outcomes, and potential impacts; avoid jargon and abbreviations; appear on screen in the video statement; ensure the amount requested matches the budget total and double-check the math; disclose anticipated ethical concerns; explain permit status and submit copies when available; complete the application carefully because incomplete or incorrectly filled applications can be declined early.