USPA Grants and Awards

The US Permafrost Association is proud to offer a series of awards each year from the USPA-PYRN Educational Fund (UPEF), the Permafrost Engineering Education Program (PEEP), and the Family Care Program (FCP). The USPA also distributes three memorial awards: the Andrew Slater Memorial Award, the Dr. Ronald Daanen Memorial Award, and the Erv Long Memorial Award.

A description of these awards is provided below:

USPA-PYRN Educational Fund (UPEF) Awards:

The UPEF Fund provides support for the professional development of the next generation of permafrost researchers. Each year, UPEF provides merit-based opportunities for travel grants to AGU and other scientific conferences.

Application Period: Once annually (October).
Eligibility: Undergraduate and Graduate Students.
Purpose: Conference Travel.

Learn more about the UPEF Award

Permafrost Engineering Education Program (PEEP) Awards:

PEEP aims to advance the knowledge of permafrost engineering for K-12 and college students and the public. PEEP particularly provides educational opportunities and experiences for students and early career professionals to better understand the permafrost system, engineering applications and solutions, and societal impact.

Application Period: Once annually (October).
Eligibility: Students and early career professionals.
Purpose: Educational and Conference Travel.

Learn more about the PEEP Award

Family Care Program (FCP) Caregiver Award:

The purpose of the FCP Caregiver Award is to provide financial support to alleviate research-related financial burdens, thus improving accessibility and inclusivity for caregivers in permafrost-related fields. The Caregiver Award supports permafrost-related work for researchers, scientists, and engineers at US-based institutions and companies.

Application Period: Twice annually (October, April).
Eligibility: Caregivers (elder, child, etc.).
Purpose: Fieldwork or Conference Travel.

Learn more about the FCP Caregiver Award

Andrew Slater Memorial Award:

The US permafrost community honors our colleague Andrew ("Drew") G. Slater (1971–2016). Drew was a force within the land modeling community. He transformed our capabilities to simulate terrestrial processes and change in cold regions. He was best known for his noteworthy advances in modeling snow, permafrost, and hydrologic processes in Arctic and mountain regions. This award is intended to support graduate students and postdocs attending the annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting to present work related to modeling of permafrost regions.

Application Period: Once annually (October).
Eligibility: Graduate students and postdocs in land modeling.
Purpose: Conference Travel to AGU.

Learn more about the Andrew Slater Memorial Award

Dr. Ronald Daanen Memorial Award:

The US permafrost community honors our colleague Dr. Ronald ("Ronnie") P. Daanen (1972–2023). Ronnie was a permafrost hydrologist with an endless curiosity and desire to understand the workings of the natural world. He advanced our understanding of the permafrost environment through his interdisciplinary thinking and fieldwork.

Application Period: Once annually (October).
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in permafrost hydrology.
Purpose: Supporting fieldwork.

Learn more about the Dr. Ronald Daanen 
Memorial Award

 Erwin "Erv" Long Memorial Award:

The US permafrost community honors the memory of Erwin "Erv" Long (1920–2012), a pioneering permafrost engineer with a deep understanding of the unique challenges posed by frozen ground to infrastructure. In the mid 1950s, Erv designed and prototyped the first thermosyphons in his back yard in Anchorage, Alaska to maintain frozen ground without external power. In 1972, he founded Arctic Foundations, Inc., which continues to thrive today supplying thermosyphons and innovative solutions for facilities on permafrost in Alaska and abroad. The Erv Long Memorial Award was created to honor his legacy and to support the next generation of permafrost engineers.

Application Period: Once Annually (October).
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in permafrost engineering.
Purpose: Supporting early career permafrost engineers.