The British Ornithologists' Union aims to promote the understanding and conservation of the world's birds, further ornithology within the scientific community, and introduce scientific ornithology to a broader audience. This will be achieved by publishing the Ibis journal, organizing meetings and conferences, offering ornithological research grants, facilitating research connections, providing ornithological advice to policymakers, and maintaining the official British List of birds.
The BOU Small Research Grants are designed to fund scientific studies with clear goals, ideally based on explicit hypotheses, where the methodology is thoroughly explained and suitable for the research questions. This grant supports research on any bird species. Although the BOU's funds are limited, grants typically do not exceed £1000, but an exceptional application may receive up to £2000.