McNEILL-NOTT AWARD
With the untimely death of Sue Nott and her partner Karen McNeill on Mt. Foraker in 2006, The AAC partnered with Mountain Hardwear to establish the McNeill-Nott Award in their memory. This grant honors the spirit of pioneering women climbers by supporting non-professional, women-led teams that are pursuing new routes or first ascents with small, lightweight expeditions.
The McNeill-Nott award advances opportunities for women in climbing and alpinism, encourages exploration and achievement, and celebrates their contributions to the sport.
Eligibility is limited to women-led teams, with preference given to teams composed entirely of women, including those who identify as women.
McNeill-Nott Award applications open November 2, 2026.
AWARDS
Two or three grants between $5,000 and $7,500 will be awarded annually to teams that best meet the criteria for pursuing an exploratory objective.
The Award focuses on projects that have strong exploratory and adventurous mountaineering objectives. These elements are more important than the technical rating of the climbing objective.
APPLICATION PERIOD
The application period for the McNeill-Nott Award is from November 2, 2026 through January 31, 2027. Applications must be submitted via the online portal no later than 11:59 p.m. MST on January 31.
Recipients are notified after the selection committee has made their final award choices in February.
CRITERIA / GUIDELINES
This grant is only open to female led teams (all women or women identified people are welcome to apply) with preference given to teams composed entirely of female or female identifying members. We look forward to supporting and celebrating the successes of female climbers and alpinists.
American Alpine Club Membership is required.
The grant applicant must be a U.S. 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 way, and with care and respect for local inhabitants.
The committee will consider the proposed climbing objectives’ compelling nature, remoteness, exploratory nature, and the overall significance of the project. Acceptable objectives could range from exploring hidden Alaskan gems to a new route in the Himalaya (see past recipients for examples).
The committee prioritizes projects that have strong exploratory and adventurous mountaineering objectives. These elements are more important than the technical rating of the climbing objective.
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 selection committee considers the team’s overall experience level, which must match the proposed objective.
RECIPIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Expectations of grant recipients include:
Grant Recipients will act as American Alpine Club ambassadors to the domestic and international climbing communities and are expected to champion the mission, values, and support of the Club.
Recipients should do their best to practice environmentally low impact and leave no trace ethics, acting as strong mountain stewards.
Within two months of returning, all grant recipients must submit to the AAC a written expedition report (including photos) for possible inclusion in AAC publications and/or posting on the AAC website. Failure to submit an expedition report will result in the applicant being ineligible for future AAC grants.
Grant Recipients may be called upon to give a presentation of the expedition at a national or local AAC sponsored event or other public engagement. It is expected that recipients participate in these callings and mention the support of the AAC when speaking about the expedition.
If, after a grant is awarded, additional funding is obtained and the grant funds are no longer needed, or if an expedition is “over funded,” the recipient is asked to return all surplus funds to the AAC. Also, if after the grant is awarded a corporate sponsorship is awarded to the expedition, all funds from the AAC must be returned.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Interested recipients may be provided with media mentorship and production assistance to document their stories in an elevated way in all three phases of the production process: pre-production, field production, and post. The AAC may also offer on-site production assistance during the expedition or trip preparation.
Proposals are accepted for expeditions occurring within one calendar year of the award date.
Funding shall not be released to recipients until necessary permits and/or visas have been obtained and grant agreements have been signed.
If for any reason the project is canceled or significantly altered, recipients must contact the AAC Director of Grants and Community Support at [email protected].
If requested, all awarded funds must be returned to the AAC in full.
