Driving the Future of Wild Turkey Science: NWTF Launches 2026 Research Grants Program

“This program is about aligning research with real management needs,” said Patrick Wightman, Ph.D., NWTF national director of wild turkey research and science. “As an organization, we are focused on making sure the work we fund delivers actionable results that state agencies, land managers and other partners can use to sustain and enhance wild turkey populations.”

For 2026, the NWTF is seeking proposals that address one or more of the following research priorities:

• Development and evaluation of methods and standardized protocols for estimating wild turkey abundance at state, within-state and regional scales. Emphasis will be on approaches that can be applied across multiple spatial scales, focusing on techniques that are cost-effective, repeatable and practical for implementation.
• Evaluation of management strategies, including habitat management, predator management and harvest frameworks and their influence on wild turkey survival and reproduction. Emphasis will be on studies that account for both habitat conditions and predator communities. Priority will be given to studies that quantify population-level responses at biologically meaningful spatial scales and that support the development of best management practices.
• Evaluation of the effects of spring harvest season timing, delays and structure on wild turkey populations. Emphasis will be on meta-analyses and experimental or large-scale comparative approaches that evaluate how variation in season frameworks influences population dynamics and genetic diversity.
• Evaluation of baiting and supplemental feeding on wild turkey ecology and predator interactions, including effects on turkey survival, health and productivity, as well as how baiting influences predator aggregation, predator-prey dynamics and disease transmission risk.

Support may span up to three years, and projects must demonstrate strong collaboration, scientific rigor and clear management relevance. All proposals must meet a minimum funding requirement: For every $1 requested from the NWTF, proposals must show at least $3 in matching support from other sources. While applicants may document significant partner contributions from one to two years prior to the requested funding, only funds provided during the project period will count toward the matching requirement.

Applicants are highly encouraged to obtain endorsement from the representative NWTF state chapter(s) and must obtain endorsement from the respective state wildlife agency or agencies while investigating one or more of the above topics. 

Proposals are due by June 15, 2026, with funding decisions anticipated in early August 2026. Completed proposals must be submitted via email to Wightman at pwightman@nwtf.net.  

Download the proposal form and submission materials.

Proposals will be evaluated and ranked by the National Wild Turkey Technical Committee, NWTF staff and academic professionals, based on scientific merit, applicability to management, partner engagement and secured matching funds.

The National Wild Turkey Technical Committee, a group of state agency representatives from every state, has been essential in guiding historic research priorities, facilitating current research and, more recently, determining what research is necessary to aid current and future management decisions to ensure wild turkeys thrive into perpetuity.

For more information on the NWTF Research Grants Program, eligibility requirements or submission details, contact Wightman at pwightman@nwtf.net.

Backed by a strong network of partners — including the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, NWTF state chapters and numerous other donor contributors — the NWTF Research Grants Program has become a cornerstone effort to advance wild turkey research across the country. Over the past four years, the NWTF has directly invested more than $2.3 million into wild turkey research, helping leverage more than $22 million in total funds through collaborative partnerships.

Disclaimer: To ensure NWTF funding has the greatest impact on the resource, we limit our support to only direct costs of the project and do not allow the use of NWTF funding to pay for indirect expenses. 

NWTF defines “direct costs” as expenses that are required for said project and can be tracked directly to the research project. Direct costs are eligible to be recovered through the NWTF, but all unrecovered direct costs should be and are encouraged to be listed as match/leverage within the budget table. 

“Indirect costs” are defined as expenses that cannot be tracked directly to the NWTF grant project. We realize many entities have federally approved rates and highly encourage all unrecovered indirect expenses be listed as match/leverage toward the project. If you list indirect expenses as match/leverage, please provide a fully executed NICRA letter at the time of the project submission. 

About the National Wild Turkey Federation 
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. Since 2022, the NWTF has also invested over $2.3 million in critical wild turkey research that, when leveraged with partner contributions, has resulted in more than $22 million to guide the management of the wild turkey and to ensure sustainable populations. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale to deliver healthy forests and wildlife habitats, clean and abundant water, resilient communities and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF is committed to creating a nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.