American Alpine Club Grant Program

Current Grants

The American Alpine Club grants program provides resources for climbers and explorers to attempt new challenges, conduct scientific research, and push the envelope of human accomplishment in mountain and polar environments.

The AAC awards over $50,000 annually, although the size and number of awards vary from year to year.

• Copp-Dash Inspire Award -

  Jonny Copp and Micah Dash were two of America’s leading alpine climbers, adventuring to the farthest corners of the world in search of first ascents in the purest of style. It was on just such a mission in May 2009, in western China's Sichuan province, that Jonny and Micah, along with filmmaker Wade Johnson, were killed in an avalanche. With Jonny and Micah’s deaths we lost two of the great alpinists, characters and storytellers the ... Read More

• Lara-Karena Bitenieks Kellogg Memorial Conservation Grant -

  Lara Karena Kellogg died during an attempt on the North Buttress of Mount Wake in the Alaska Range in April 2007. This conservation grant is intended to carry on the essence of her spirit and her character.

  Lara was a climber, a scientist and a conservationist. In climbing and life, she was always searching for the most beautiful line. More than most people, she had an extra capacity to find that line and take it to ... Read More

• Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Award -

  Through the generous contribution of Lyman Spitzer, Jr., a long-time American Alpine Club member and lover of the mountains, the AAC initiated the Lyman Spitzer Climbing Grants Program. This program promotes state-of-the-art, cutting-edge climbing through financial support of small, lightweight climbing teams attempting bold first ascents or difficult repeats of the most challenging routes in the world's great mountain ranges.

  The application deadline for the Lyman Spitzer Grant is January 1. Late applications will not be ... Read More

• McNeill-Nott Award -

  The American Alpine Club (AAC), with the help of Industry Partner Mountain Hardwear, has established an annual grant for climbers, the McNeill-Nott Award. With the untimely death of Sue Nott and her partner Karen McNeill on Mt. Foraker in 2006, the AAC and Mountain Hardwear decided to establish this grant in their memory. Sue Nott was a long-time member of the AAC. Sue and Karen were Mountain Hardwear athletes and close personal friends who frequently ... Read More

• Mountain Fellowship Grant -

  Started in 1966, the Mountain Fellowship Fund grants encourage young American climbers age 25 years and under to go into remote areas and seek out climbs more difficult than they might ordinarily be able to do. Unexplored mountain ranges, unclimbed peaks, and difficult new routes will be looked upon with favor, as will any project in keeping with the charter and purpose of The American Alpine Club. The grant is bi-annual with application deadlines on ... Read More

• Research Grants -

  The Research Committee of The American Alpine Club administers funds from three endowments: The Arthur K. Gilkey Memorial Research Fund, the William Putnam Research Fund, and the Bedayn Research Fund. Through these funds, the AAC is able to support modest requests to assist scientific research projects within the scope of the AAC's charter.

  The application deadline for an AAC Research Grant is March 1. Late applications will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted electronically via ... Read More

• Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Grant -

  The American Alpine Club established the Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Fund in memory of Scott Fischer, who lost his life on Mount Everest in May 1996. The purpose of this grant is to help fund environmentally proactive expeditions to mountain regions throughout the world.

  Applications must be submitted electronically via an emailed Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) attachment. Scanned signatures must be inserted within the submitted proposal. Proposals submitted without signatures on both the waiver ... Read More

• The American Alpine Club Nikwax Alpine Bellwether Grant -

  High alpine environments are early indicators of climate change. In order to document the impacts of global warming in these fragile ecosystems, Nikwax is underwriting the Nikwax Alpine Bellwether Grant (NABG), in association with the American Alpine Club (AAC). The NABG will be awarded annually, with $3000.00 divided between two or three recipients. Grantees will visit alpine regions to observe and photograph changes in glacier recession, upward plant migration, animal sightings and other critical indicators. ... Read More

• Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant -

  In 2008, Industry Partner Black Diamond graciously agreed to be a supporter and sponsor of the Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant. Grant recipients will be offered equipment sponsorship specific to the goals and objectives of the expedition or trip. Black Diamond's assistance will allow the ZMBB recipients to defray the cost of outfitting their climbing and humanitarian objectives. For information regarding the BD sponsorship, contact John Parsons.

  Applying for the ZMBB Grant

  Applying for ... Read More