Selection Criteria
A qualified Committee determined by the Board of Directors will review the applications, select the recipients, and decide the awarded grant amount.Committee members will have a knowledge of skiing and an ability to evaluate the documentary aspects of the application.
- The grant applicant must be a US citizen
- Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and complete legal liability releases
- Expeditions must be environmentally conscious and respect local inhabitants, cultures and laws
Skiing/Exploration Component
- The Committee will consider the proposed skiing/exploration objectives, taking into account the nature and overall significance of the project. Acceptable objectives/examples might include a significant new descent, a historic descent done in better style, circumnavigation of an entire range or massif, traverses of unexplored Arctic regions, etc…. Creativity is encouraged.
- The skiing/exploration style will be closely considered. Small, self-sufficient teams using a minimum of siege tactics, camps, personnel, and equipment, and those operating under the highest ethical standards are strongly favored. Commercial, professional, and expeditions that are principally cause-related are ineligible.
- The Committee encourages innovative and thoughtful plans which include a thorough evaluation of hazards and means to reduce objective risks.
- The Committee will consider whether the team’s overall experience level matches the proposed objective.
Documentary Component
- The Committee is open to and encourages all forms of expedition documentation including writing, photography, film, graphic art, painting, etc… Again, creativity is strongly encouraged.
- The Committee will emphasize the applicant’s plan for documenting and presenting the expedition to the Board and the public.
- The quality and planning of this component of the grant will be an important determinant of success.
Responsibilities
- If any of the grant objectives are cancelled or significantly changed (i.e. a new descent on Denali turns into heli time around Valdez), all funds and materials must be returned or repaid to the HSMF. This includes but is not limited to airline ticket value, all grant funds, and any gear/goods donated by the industry sponsor.
- Unless agreed to by the Fund, within two months of returning, all grant recipients must submit the documentary component of the grant to the HSMF for possible inclusion in HSMF publications and presentations.
- Recipients may be asked to give a presentation at the annual meeting of the Board of Directors on the project for which grant funds were awarded.
Application Process
The Hans Saari Memorial Fund has moved to an online application process. The process allows for saving the application to add content or edit later, prior to its final submission.
Application Downloads
These documents are required for the application process. Please download and complete each form. Completed documents must be scanned, or the 'Fax to File' feature must be used during the online application process.
