SANIBEL-CAPTIVA SHELL CLUB
Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club Grant Program
The Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club (SCSC), a 501(c)(3) organization, conducts its annual grant program as part of its overall mission to promote the study of mollusks. The SCSC was established to exchange information in the fields of conchology and malacology, enhance public education and effective conservation efforts, and encourage and support studies and research activities in these areas.
The SCSC invites nonprofit institutions, students, universities, and schools to submit grant applications. Awards depend on available funding. Generally, funding amounts of up to $5,000 per grant application per year may be provided if the applications are considered complete and viable, and the project aligns with the SCSC mission as described above.
Grants are awarded to enhance our knowledge of the life history, culture, and environment of mollusks in marine, freshwater, or terrestrial environments across southwest Florida. Projects may also relate to conservation and water quality efforts related to the Gulf of Mexico, as these can impact the mollusks’ living environment. Additionally, grants are awarded to promote public education in these fields.
Grants may be given for research to students enrolled in or research projects conducted by universities, schools, or institutional programs. Student grants are intended to support graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and supervised third or fourth-year undergraduate students engaged in research consistent with SCSC’s mission in the areas as described previously in this document.
SCSC grant funds may be used for a wide variety of items in a research project:
- Project support. Support research-specific expenses (e.g., supplies and/or equipment specifically used in conducting the research, technical or other research resource books).
- Ongoing project completion. Assist with ongoing projects that require additional funding to be completed.
In addition to research, SCSC awards grant funds to foster public education in all of these fields. SCSC grant funds for a research or education project may be used alone or in combination with project funding from other sources
Payment of Grant Funds
Grant funds are payable directly to the organization (university, school, or institution) to cover the applicant’s or project’s expenses. Grants are not payable to individual applicants. 100% of the SCSC grant must be allocated directly to the applicant by the organization, with no administrative fees, hidden costs, or indirect expenses related to facilities and administrative (F&A) costs, indirect costs, or other general university administrative expenses.
Application Submission, Deadline, and Timing
Please submit your application to Karen Turner at grants@sanibelshellclub.com. The SCSC 2025-2026 Grant Program application submission deadline is October 15, 2025. Grant application reviews and decisions are typically on the agenda for the SCSC Board Meeting in November, with confirmation expected by December 31, 2025.
Application Package
All applications for the SCSC 2025-2026 Grant Program must include all of the following:
- Applicant Information
- Applicant Contact Information. Full name of the person applying, mailing address, email address, phone number, and cell phone number.
- Current level of academic study for the year (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral) or if a current program under a university, school, or institution.
- Letter of Recommendation. A brief letter of recommendation from the student’s advisor, if applicable.
- Institution Information
- Institution Contact Information. Name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and cell phone number where the applicant is enrolled or employed.
- Legal Name. The legal nameof the specific school, college, or division within the university or institution, if applicable, where the grant funds are to be sent.
- Nonprofit Letter. A letter confirming nonprofit status from the university, school, or institution.
- Designated Recipient Contact Information. Exact name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and cell phone number for the person and office responsible for receiving and disbursing grant funds for the applicant’s use.
- Full grant disbursement. The university, school, or institution must provide the full SCSC grant directly to the applicant for their approved project with no deductions for administrative fees or hidden costs, or indirect expenses, including facilities and administrative (F&A) expenses, or other general university administrative expenses.
- Advisor contact information. This includes the advisor’s name, address, email address, phone number, and cell phone number.
- Project Information
- Project Summary. Provide a brief project summary in three sentences or less.
- Amount Requested. Specify the amount requested.
- Project Budget. Detail the project budget.
- Project Timeline. If the research project has not yet begun, please specify the expected start and end dates.
- Detailed Project Description. Include the project location, development duration, and its relationship to supporting the SCSC Mission noted above. Indicate exactly how the SCSC grant funds will be spent to help achieve the project’s goal.
Report of Accomplishment
Grant recipients must submit a brief written or video report to the SCSC by November 1, 2026. This report should outline how the funds were used and how they contributed to the grant project’s goals. Failure to submit the “Report of Accomplishment” on time will jeopardize future funding consideration.
Include detailed project information in the report. Specify which content can be featured in The Junonia, the SCSC monthly newsletter, without conflicting with the researcher’s plans to first publish elsewhere, such as in a scientific journal or conference abstract. We will also invite the grant recipient to speak about the project at one of our future monthly Club meetings, which may be held in person or via Zoom.
We look forward to your grant application submission!