Honey Bee Research Grants

The EAS Foundation for Honey Bee Research is a competitive grant program developed from donations received from beekeepers and others interested in funding research on topical problems in honey bees.

Proposals are solicited annually with award amounts to be determined by spring before the EAS annual meeting. Requests for “seed money” to provide investigators the opportunity to collect preliminary data or as “add on” funds to combine with other funding sources to continue present research will also be considered. Requests for support for student projects (undergraduate summer employees/graduate student) or for equipment/supplies for distinct research projects are given the highest priority. We welcome separate, discrete project proposals and requests that identify pieces of ongoing research programs where additional funds can accomplish an objective of a larger program. Grant funds may be used for supplies, equipment, salaries, travel necessary for data collection or other research tasks, or other appropriate uses by the recipient. As a nonprofit organization, the EAS Foundation does not pay overhead on funded research grants.

The total amount to be awarded in 2025 is $30,000. The awards will be announced at the EAS 2025 Conference but available by April 1, 2025. The principle investigator may be invited to present their findings at the 2025 EAS Annual Conference; travel and lodging costs associated with presenting will be covered by EAS; and we will publicize the award to aid in solicitation of additional funds for subsequent years. An article for the EAS Journal summarizing the research and results must be submitted by September 1, 2026.

Deadline for application is February 1, 2025. Additional submission details and further inquiries can be directed to HoneyBeeResearch@easternapiculture.org.

Download Application

Proposals are welcome from any individuals conducting research on honey bees. The role the investigator will perform if awarded the funds should be clearly stated.
Proposal should briefly outline the objective and a plan of work, to be completed within one year of funding, and a justification for the proposed work. If intended as “seed money,” the proposal should clearly state how the funds will enable the investigator to secure additional funding for project continuation. Proposals should not exceed five written pages in total length (double-spaced) excluding title page, budget, and résumés. Only electronic submissions will be accepted.
Proposal must indicate how results will be disseminated if grant is funded. Investigators are encouraged to present their work to a future EAS annual meeting and through the EAS journal (in summary form) if at all possible but other funds should be used for such dissemination. An acknowledgment of EAS support should be included in any presentations or publications resulting from the research.
The proposal should be arranged in the following format:
1. cover page to include title, name, address, e-mail, and telephone of investigators(s) and title/affiliation of investigator
2. justification
3. objective(s)
4. project description
5. plan of work/timetable
6. budget
7. short (half page) résumé of each participant
8. name of principal investigator to appear on every page of proposal (very important)
Electronic copy of the proposal should be submitted by February 1^st to the e-mail account, HoneyBeeResearch@easternapiculture.org.

Proposal Review Process
EAS will review each proposal with a three-person proposal review board. One person is a member of the Board of Directors while the remaining two are researchers (the Board member may be a researcher). None of the panel will have a direct connection to any research project for which a proposal has been submitted. In cases of conflict that panel member will be excused from voting.

Evaluation of proposals will be made on the following criteria: scientific merit, relevance of the proposed project to beekeeping, reasonableness of the budget proposal to the actual work to be performed, potential for securing or adding to funding from other sources, and finally, interest of proposed research to EAS members. All funds must be expended during the year of the grant and an accounting of expenditures made available to the EAS treasurer by the end of the year of the grant.

Download Application

EAS Foundation for Honey Bee Research Awards History

1994	Diana Sammataro and Glen Needham, Ohio State University “Acarapis woodi and the effects of vegetable oil on its movements”	$1200
1994	Cynthia Scott Dupree, University of Guelph, Ontario “Potential transmission of honey bee viruses by Acarapis woodi”	$850
1995	Award: None
1996	Gard Otis, University of Guelph, Ontario “The selection of varroa resistance in honey bees based upon the development period of all bee castes”	$1500
1996	Scott Camazine, Pennsylvania State University “Monitoring, mapping and management of insects affecting vegetable crops”	$1500
1997	Diana Sammataro, Ohio State University “Efficacy and effect on essential oils for controlling parasitic bee mites”	$2000
1997	Keith R. Tignor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University “Effects of Formic Acid on Honey Bee Survival and Egg-Laying Capacity”	$2000
1998	Award: None
1999	Award: None
2000	Dr. Medhat Nasr, University of Guelph, Ontario “Evaluation of Russian Honey Bee Stock for Varroa Resistance/Economic Traits in Northern Climates”	$3500
2001	Keith Delaplane, University of Georgia “Putting it all Together: Using IPM Strategies to keep Varroa Mites below Economic Threshold”.	$5000
2002	Mike Hood, Clemson University “Economic Threshold of Mites”	$5000
2003	Marla Spivak and Abdullah Ibrahim, University of Minnesota “Honey Bee Mechanisms of Resistance to Disease and the Parasitic Mite Varroa destructor”	$5000
2004	Tom Webster, Kentucky State University “Evaluation of Screened bottom broads for showing development of acaricide resistance in varroa mites”	$5000
2005	Heather Mattila and Gard Otis, Guelph University “The effects of pollen supplements and shortages on worker bee size, protein content, symmetry and foraging ability.”	$5000
2006	Christina Grozinger & David Tarpy, North Carolina State University “Effect of Queen mating number on supersedure rates in Honey Bees.”	$5000
2007	Tanya Pankiw, Shane Tichy, for support of Brad Metz in his PhD studies, Texas A&M University “Semiochemical communication of larva nutritional status in the Honey Bee.”	$5000
2007	Dennis vanEnglesdorp & Diana Cox-Foster, Pennsylvania State University “Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) Research.”	$5000
2008	Juliana Rangel-Posada, Cornell University “Swarming: how is the mass departure triggered and what determines which bees leave?”	$5000
2009	Galen Dively, Mike Embrey, and Terry Patton, University of Maryland “Assessment of Potential Exposure Risks to Honey Bees from Neonicotinoid Insecticide Use on Cucurbit Crops”	$5000
2010	Mike Goblirsch, University of Minnesota “The Effects of Nosema ceranae Infection on Honey Bee Health.”	$5000
2011	Brenna Traver and Rick Fell, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Nosema ceranae infections in queen honey bees.	$5000
2012	Tom Seeley and J. Carter Loftus, Cornell University Testing small hives as a management tool for producing honey bee colonies that are naturally resistant to Varroa mites.	$5000
2013	Drs. Thomas Janini and Reed Johnson, Ohio State University Effects of Neonicotinoid/Fungicide/Adjuvant Pesticide Combinations Commonly Encountered by Honey Bees on Pumpkins	$5000
2014	Leonard Foster, Kelly Butts, Marta Guarna. Collaborator Dr. Jeffrey Pettis, USDA-ARS Bee Research Lab “Effects of pesticides on behavioral defenses of Honeybee against pathogens”	$5000
2015	Kathleen C. Evans and Deborah Delaney, University of Delaware Evaluation of the late-summer splits on a varroa mite reduction and colony productivity	$6,500
2016	Kathryn Grogan and Carlyle Bewster, Virginia Tech “An assessment of the Direct and Indirect Effects of Factors Impacting Honey Bee Health in Virginia	$3,000
2016	Rachael E. Bonoan, Philip T. Starks & Benjamin Wolfe Tufts “Essential amino acids and the honey bee microbiome	$7,000
2017	Ashley St. Clair, Iowa State Forage and fecundity: Does apiary location affect queen quality and brood production?	$10,000
2017	Sabrina Rondeau, Université Laval Integrated pest management against varroa mites: is Stratiolaelaps scimitus a promising tool?	$3,000
2018	Dennis vanEngelsdorp, University of Maryland Naughty Neighbors: Tracking the movement of bees from colonies collapsing from high Varroa infestation between apiaries	$7,000
2018	Elmin Taric, DVM, University of Belgrade The differences between honey bee brood pathogens colonies in traditional and modern [commercial] beekeeping colonies	$3,000
2019	Pierre Lau, Alexandria Payne, Dr. Juliana Rangel, Texas A&M Optimizing macronutrient ratios in honey bee (Apis mellifera) diets as a mechanism for pathogen defense	$6,000
2019	Emma Mullen, Dr. Christina Wahl, Dr. Bryan Danforth, Cornell University Honey bee viruses found in comb from dead overwintered colonies	$5,319
2020	Berry J. Brosi, Laura Avila, Becky Griffin – Emory University, Atlanta GA The Effects of Broadcast-Spray Orchard Antibiotics on Honey Bees	$9,970.90
2020	Jessica Rymel – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension- Cass County, 2020 Honeybee Swarm Capture Project	$2,180.00
2020	Nuria Morfin, Ernesto Guzman-Novoa, Paul H. Goodwin, James Longstaffe, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada Use of Nucleic Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to determine the metabolome profile of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.)	$2,342.62
2021	Dr. Allison McAfee, North Carolina State University The influence of abiotic stressors on the queen gut microbiome.	$10,000
2021	Ed Levi – State Apiary Specialist/Inspector (Ret.) A project to determine if developmental times os Apis mellifera unicolor is a natural deterrent to the development of Varroa mites in Madagascar	$1,345
2022	Allison Malay/Dr. Ken Fedorka, University of Central Florida Environment and Pollinator Community Impact on Honey Bee Viral Infections and Health	$1,395
2022	Dr. Juliana Rangel, Texas A & M Determining the Drivers of Precocious Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Self-Removal Behavior	$8,500
2022	Kaira Wagoner/Esmaeil Amiri, University of North Carolina Greensboro Investigation of Honey Bee Virus Deposition and Replication on Common Crop Flowers	$1,550
2023	Dr. Juliana Rangel Texas A & M Genetic diversity and populations structure of Varroa destructor across the U.S., and potential implications for Amitraz-resistant mites	$8,500
2023	Dr. Esmaeil Amiri. Mississippi State University Evaluating the pheromone profile and acceptance rate of queens raised in different commercial queen cell cups	$2,620
2024	Adam Pachl University of North Dakota The Effects of Geography, Forage Sources and Seasonality on Microbial Communities in Honey Bees.	$10,915
2024	Dr. Michael Simone-Finstrom USDA-ARS Propolis Reduces EFB and Varroa Infestation in Honey Bees Used for Blueberry Pollination.	$10,000
2024	R. Shelley E. Hoover University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada Non-Invasive Evaluation of Honey Bee Queen Quality.	$2,736.62

You can support EAS honey bee research, speakers, and other activities by donating to the EAS Foundation.

Eastern Apiculture Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your contribution may be tax-deductible.

The EAS Research Foundation is a competitive grant program developed from your donations to study topical problems in honey bees. The Foundation provides seed money and add-on funds to initiate or expand research for much-needed honey bee research

Thank you!

EAS Foundation for Honey Bee Research Awards History

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