NAPPC awards more than $94,000 for pollinator research

By AI, Created 4:59 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign, managed by Pollinator Partnership, has awarded 12 new grants in 2026 to study bees, butterflies and moths. The funding targets pollinator health, habitat and pesticide exposure as conservation groups look for practical ways to support species that underpin ecosystems and agriculture.

Why it matters: - The 2026 grants support research on pollinators that are essential to agriculture, ecosystems and the broader economy. - The funding totals $94,401 and is aimed at better understanding threats to butterflies, moths, bumble bees and honey bees. - The projects are designed to inform conservation, recovery and habitat planning.

What happened: - The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign, managed by Pollinator Partnership, awarded 12 new research grants in 2026. - The grants were funded by individual and corporate sponsors. - Kelly Bills, executive director of Pollinator Partnership and NAPPC, said the grant program shows collaborative conservation in support of critical research.

The details: - The NAPPC Imperiled Bombus Task Force solicited proposals for the third straight year to improve the recovery and persistence of imperiled Bombus species. - Funding for the Bombus program came from The J.M. Smucker Co. and Pollinator Partnership. - Sami Dolan of the University of Minnesota and Dr. Alejandra Castañeda González with Dr. Jorge Alberto Andrade Sánchez at the Museo de Artrópodos de Baja California and Universidad Autónoma de Baja California received Bombus grants. - Their projects will focus on monitoring and priority habitat for bumble bees. - The Bombus review panel included Ana Cabrera, Elaine Evans, Daniela Garcia, Emily Runnion, Nina Sokolov, Chris Taliga and Pam Thompson. - The NAPPC Honey Bee Health Task Force solicited proposals for the eighteenth consecutive year. - Funding for honey bee research came from Pollinator Partnership donors, a USDA-APHIS grant and a donation from Valmont Cosmetics. - The honey bee review panel included Dewey Caron, Ph.D., Sydney Miller, Sascha Nicklisch, Ph.D., Olav Rueppel, Emily Schmidt, Mike Studer and Elizabeth Walsh. - Grantees included Petra Hafker at Cornell University, Dr. Mulusew Fikere at Purdue University, Lincoln Taylor at the University of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Luke Hearon and Reed Johnson at The Ohio State University, Brandon Tringa, Dr. Zachary Lamas and Dr. Michelle Starz-Gaiano at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Treson Thompson at the Boulder Bee Lab, Ian Collins and Dr. Lewis Bartlett at the University of Georgia, and Zion Hubbard at Arizona State University. - Honey bee projects will examine pesticide exposure, pests and pathogens, and genetic stock. - The NAPPC Lepidoptera Task Force reviewed butterfly and moth proposals this winter. - The 2026 NAPPC Lepidoptera Grant is sponsored by Beesure and Pollinator Partnership. - The Lepidoptera review panel included Anthony Colangelo, Chloe Collier, Ralph Grundel, Sophia Mucciolo, Lily Peppers, Steve Sass and Amanda Smith. - Dr. Brent Sewall at Temple University received funding to study relationships with fire for butterfly plants. - Clare Dittemore at the University of Nevada, Reno received funding to study a major knowledge gap in Lepidoptera conservation biology and pesticide exposure. - More information on the Bombus projects is available at the Imperiled Bombus grant page. - More information on honey bee projects is available at the honey bee health page. - More information on Lepidoptera projects is available at the Lepidoptera grant page.

Between the lines: - The grant program is using targeted task forces to direct money toward specific pollinator threats rather than broad funding alone. - The mix of private sponsors, donors and a USDA-APHIS grant shows the research effort depends on both public and private support. - The focus on Bombus recovery, honey bee health and Lepidoptera conservation suggests pollinator risks are being treated as separate but connected problems.

What’s next: - The grantees will carry out studies on habitat, monitoring, pesticide exposure, pathogens, pests, genetic stock and fire-related plant relationships. - The task forces’ findings are expected to add practical evidence for conservation and management efforts. - Pollinator Partnership is accepting donations and providing more information at https://www.pollinator.org/.

The bottom line: - NAPPC is channeling more than $94,000 into research that could shape how pollinators are protected across North America.