PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
The DAN Research Grant Program supports innovative research that advances diver health, safety, and performance. DAN helps generate the scientific evidence needed to improve dive practices and protect divers worldwide by funding studies in dive physiology, injury prevention, and operational safety.
The Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences (AUAS) Scholarship is an important part of this effort, supporting eligible students conducting research relevant to dive science and medicine. The scholarship is designed to encourage early-career investigators to explore critical questions in diver health while developing the skills and experience needed to contribute to the broader field of dive research.
Previous recipients demonstrate the impact of this scholarship, as their projects have progressed from student research to peer-reviewed publication. One recent AUAS-supported project investigated the use of in-water recompression (IWR) among freedivers experiencing neurological symptoms following deep breath-hold dives. The resulting case series documented 13 incidents of suspected decompression illness and highlighted how divers in remote environments may resort to self-administered IWR when access to hyperbaric treatment is limited.
This research was ultimately published in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, contributing valuable insight to the growing field of freediving medicine. Through the AUAS/DAN Dive Medicine Research Scholarship, DAN continues to invest in promising student researchers whose work can advance dive science and improve dive safety worldwide.
Interested applicants can submit their materials until Sept. 30, 2026, through the DAN Research application portal at tinyurl.com/AUAS-Scholarship.
© Alert Diver – Q3 2026