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. AAC awards over $45,000 annually to expeditions, although the size and number of awards vary from year to year.

AAC grants are for climbing , ski mountaineering, and polar exploration exhibitions and are NOT scholarships for students. Only serious climbers and/or explorers are given consideration for grants.

Unless noted below, the deadline for a grant is March 1.

Lyman Spitzer Climbing Grants - promotes state-of-the-art, cutting-edge climbing through financial support of small, lightweight teams of climbers attempting bold first ascents or difficult repeats of the most challenging routes in the world's great mountain ranges. Grants each year total over $25,000 with most awards being around $2,000.

Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grants - encourage young American climbers age 25 years and under to seek out climbs more difficult than they might ordinarily be able to do. Grants are between $300-$800 and deadlines are April 1 and November 1.

The American Alpine Club Research Grants - provides support of scientific research projects within the scope of the AAC's charter. Total annual grants are about $10,000.

Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Grant - helps fund environmentally proactive expeditions to mountain regions throughout the world. The grant is around $300.

The Lyman Spitzer Climbing Grants Program

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.

More than $25,000 is awarded annually to three to eight endeavors that best meet the criteria for "cutting-edge" climbing. The application deadline is March 1 (please mail your application to arrive at the AAC by this date, no late applications accepted) for climbs departing May 1 through April 30.

Selection Criteria

A committee of three active climbers reviews the applications, selects the recipients, and decides the amount each recipient receives. The three judges’ combined climbing experience ranges from extreme free climbing to remote big walls to alpine-style ascents in the Himalayas.

• The grant applicant must be a US citizen, though team members may be foreign citizens.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and complete legal liability releases.
• All expeditions must be legal and obtain all necessary visas and permits required by local authorities.
• All expeditions must be conducted in an environmentally conscious and sound approach and with care and respect for the local inhabitants.
• The judges consider the proposed climbing objectives’ compelling nature, including purity of line, difficulty, exploratory nature, and the overall significance. Acceptable objectives could range from a new Himalayan route to establishing extreme free climbs on remote African cliffs.
• The team’s planned climbing style is considered. Teams climbing with the highest ethical standards and small, lightweight teams using a minimum of fixed ropes, camps, personnel, and equipment are strongly favored. Commercial, professional, and principally cause-related expeditions are ineligible.
• The judges consider the team’s overall experience level, which must match the proposed objective.

Responsibilities

• If for any reason the climbing objective is canceled or significantly changed (i.e. a new route attempt on Rakaposhi turns into rock climbing in Thailand) awarded funds must be returned to the AAC.
• This grant will only be considered once for each objective.
• Grant funds are disbursed to recipients based upon the cash flow requirements of the endeavor.
• Within one month of returning, all grant recipients must submit to the AAC a written expedition report (including photographs) for possible inclusion in AAC publications.
• Successful recipients may be asked to give a presentation on expedition at the AAC's Annual Meeting.

Application for Lyman Spitzer Climbing Grants

Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grants

Started in 1966, Mountaineering 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 grants are made available through the Boyd N. Everett, Jr. Memorial Fund, the John R. Hudson Memorial Fund, the Rick L. Mosher Memorial Fund, Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI Challenge Fund), and from annual contributions from the public. While grants are not large enough to entirely finance an individual, it is hoped they make it possible for a few young climbers to gain experience in mountain areas that would otherwise be out of their reach.

There are two series of grants per year and application deadlines are April 1 and November 1 (please mail your application to arrive at the AAC by this date, no late applications accepted). The grants are usually between $300-$800 and recipients are notified eight to ten weeks after the application deadline.

Selection Criteria

• Only U.S. citizens 25 years old or younger may apply (applicants must be no older than 25 at the time of the application deadline).
• Grants are based on the proposed project’s excellence and evidence of mountaineering experience.
• Membership in The American Alpine Club is not a prerequisite.
• Members of a single expedition may apply individually (organized groups/expeditions are ineligible).
• Grants are not available for the purpose of climbing instruction.

Responsibilities

• All grants are unconditional.
• Within one month of returning, all grant recipients must submit to the AAC a written report of the expedition for possible inclusion in AAC publications.
• If for any reason the climbing objective is canceled or significantly changed (i.e. a new route attempt of Rakaposhi turns into rock climbing in Thailand) awarded funds must be returned to the AAC.
• Successful grant recipients may be asked to give a slide show or other presentation regarding the expedition at the AAC's Annual Meeting.

Application for Mountaineering Fellowship Fund Grant

AAC 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 is March 1 (please mail your application to arrive at the AAC by this date, no late applications accepted) and grants are in the $200-$500 range.

Selection Criteria Applications are considered in terms of their scientific or technical quality, contribution to scientific endeavor germane to mountain regions, and in terms of the purposes for which the funds and the AAC are established.

Responsibilities

• Submit four copies of all materials, including the completed application form and vita, to the AAC office.
• Within one month of returning, all grant recipients must submit to the AAC a written report of the expedition for possible inclusion in AAC publications.
• The scientific data obtained are often published in other scientific literature. Written acknowledgment to the American Alpine Club is required in such resulting publication.
• If for any reason the climbing objective is canceled or significantly changed (i.e. a conservation study of Rakaposhi turns into rock climbing in Thailand) awarded funds must be returned to the AAC.
• Grant recipients may be asked to give a slide show or other presentation regarding the expedition at the AAC's Annual Meeting.
• Please include your personal and professional vita (indicate academic degrees, and other pertinent biographical material) with your proposal.

Application for AAC Research Grant

Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Fund 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.

The application deadline is March 1 (no late applications accepted) and awards are announced in May.

Selection Criteria

• American climbers or expeditions who propose well-planned mountain conservation projects.
• Projects attempting to remove past expeditions’ garbage and equipment or to initiate similar projects are favored.
• Expeditions must exceed normal expedition clean-up procedures as outlined by the host country or land manager to be considered.
• Membership in The American Alpine Club is not a prerequisite.
• There are no age limitations for this award.

Responsibilities

Each recipient must submit a formal report for the committee’s review and possible publication in AAC publications.

Application for the Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Fund Grant