Apply for Funding
Thank you for your interest in submitting a research proposal. PAm is dedicated to enhancing the health of honey bees, thereby improving crop production.
Researchers can submit proposals at any time and there are three review cycles per year. Deadlines for each review cycle are announced below. Please allow three months after each deadline for for the decision and review process to take place, and please submit only one proposal per cycle.
The 2026 request for proposals from Project Apis m on behalf of the National Honey Board is now open. The deadline for submissions is October 5, 2026.
Guidelines
Proposals are reviewed by our volunteer scientific advisory board, ad-hoc reviewers, and our board of directors. Proposals or scholarship applications should clearly state how they address the bee health “problem to solve”, and/or any research priorities stated in any specific RFP or scholarship announcement.
Funding decisions are primarily based on an overall evaluation. Our scientific advisors are attentive to scientific methods, proper controls, and reproducible results. Proposals should be clear-cut, have practical implications, and lend themselves to statistical interpretation. Criteria used to score proposals include:
Focus on solving honey bee health and beekeeping problems in either the short or long term.
Likelihood of obtaining practical/usable results for the North American beekeeping industry.
Project strengths and weaknesses based on an evaluation of experimental design, riskiness, likelihood of success, investigator qualifications, and experience with techniques.
Indication that PI(s) will communicate their findings to beekeepers.
Does the project have measurable impacts and how will they be evaluated.
Economical and sufficient budget for proposed research.
FAQs
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PAm. funds research institutions such as USDA-ARS, universities, agricultural extension programs, and similar research facilities primarily in North America. Applications from outside North America can be considered but must demonstrate benefits to North American beekeeping. PAm does not fund projects that are designed only to establish or grow beekeeping programs.
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PAm seeks projects that work on the problem to solve. It is important that the commercial beekeeping community benefit from the research and its application.
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Proposals are reviewed by the scientific advisory committee and ad-hoc reviewers. Then the PAm Board of Directors reviews the proposals and scientific advisors’ recommendations and makes final funding decisions.
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PAm funding is dependent on the project and the goals. We have funded projects ranging from $5,000 – $200,000 or more for large or team-based projects.
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In addition to accepting proposals at any time, PAm. will also accept, review, and provide feedback on shorter concept proposals. Concept proposals are submitted through the same portal as full proposals below.
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Researchers should review the proposal format and required elements listed below, prepare their proposal, and then submit proposals through the online portal at the bottom of this page.
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PAm pays 50% of the approved budget upon awarding the funding and 50% upon receipt of the final report.
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In addition to a final report, PAm requires biannual interim reporting, and a one paragraph public-facing project summary written in layman’s terms.
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PAm’s funding comes from many sources including individual donations, bee club support, and corporate support. We also administer the research funds for the National Honey Board. Applicants cannot select which source their funding comes from. Here is our statement of independence.
All proposals submitted to PAm, and the review process, are kept confidential.
Submitting a Proposal
Please limit proposals to 6 pages of project description, and 10 pages total including budget justification and PI’s CV. Letters of support and references can be provided in addition to the 10 pages. Below is a summary of required elements.
NEW UPDATE: We have a new application portal for submitting research to PAm. Please use the appropriate link below based on what you are submitting: concept proposals, scholarship applications, or research proposals.
Required Elements
Title, Principal Investigator, Date – Include contact information for PI and all cooperating investigators and beekeeping businesses. Include date and duration of project.
Problem and Significance - Clearly state how your project fulfills PAm's mission to drive science to deliver innovation for healthy bees and bee businesses, clearly outlining its relevance to commercial beekeeping in North America. This should be appropriate for public-facing communications and will be used if your project is funded.
Objectives - Clearly state the objectives of the project.
Experimental Design / Materials and Methods. Describe the experimental approaches that will be used detailing controls, number of replicates and statistical analysis. Descriptions should be scientifically sound and include logically linked experiments and preliminary data. Address any potential pitfalls and solutions.
Economic Feasibility for New Products - If your project is developing a new product explain the pathway for development. Who else is involved, how is further development funded?
Project Timeline – Provide a projected overview of the project timeline from start to finish.
Explain if your proposal has previously been submitted to PAm. Explain if your proposal has been or will be submitted to other funding organizations, list the organization and the amount requested.
Dissemination of Findings - Indicate your specific plan to present findings at professional meetings, conferences, and in publications. Include how you will share this information with beekeepers and evaluate the project’s impact on honey bee survival and productivity.
Budget Request – Provide a detailed budget. Note: PAm does not pay indirect costs (IDC’s) or overhead.
Correspondence with PAm or Funding Sponsors - include details regarding any correspondence with PAm or PAm's funding sponsors about the project prior to proposal submission.
References – include literature references pertinent to your proposal. Letters of support are optional.
Research Submission Portals
Submit a Concept Proposal