The Arteaga Species Discovery Fund is the world’s first fund devoted exclusively towards the discovery of new animal species. It seeks to accelerate the rate at which new animals are discovered as well as reward emerging taxonomists in tropical countries.
Grant size:
$1,000–5,000
Eligible projects:
New animal species descriptions
Age of applicants:
18–35 years old
Target countries:
Tropical & low-income
Project duration:
1–2 years
“A rough estimate suggests that there are upwards of 10 million species on the planet, and we know only a small fraction of them.” |
“The description of a species is not merely the act of assigning a name; it is the act of giving identity.” |
“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest.” |
ASDF winners
Esteban Garzón Franco
Project title: New species of rainfrog of the genus Pristimantis
Project location: Colombia
Year awarded: 2026
Yiselle Patricia Cano
Project title: New species of damselfly in the genus Leucobasis
Project location: Colombia
Year awarded: 2026
Ángelo Ávila-Jiménez
Project title: New species of longhorn beetle of the genus Taeniotes
Project location: Colombia
Year awarded: 2026
The discovery of new species is the most crucial yet embarrassingly underfunded part of wildlife conservation. We are unlikely to be effective towards saving species if we remain unaware they exist.
Alejandro Arteaga
Biologist, Explorer
New species discovery is a discipline that should be encouraged and rewarded as much as, if not more than, other scientific endeavors, as it is the one that shows us the path in animal conservation.
Rosalía Arteaga
Former President of Ecuador