The Academic Achievement Award encourages academic excellence by recognizing contributions to the field of public water supply. All Masters theses and doctoral dissertations that are relevant to the water supply industry are eligible. The manuscript must reflect the work of a single author and be submitted during the competition year in which it was submitted for the degree.
Entries are considered by a panel of judges (Academic Achievement Award Committee) appointed by the American Water Works Association, and are evaluated on the basis of originality, practical application, value to the water supply field, potential value as a reference, and overall clarity.

Currently the Foundation supports 10 to 12 graduate students each year under its fellowship program.  The scientific breadth of the research scholarship program includes the following academic units: animal behavior, biology, botany, conservation education, ecology, mammalogy, ornithology, parasitology, range science, veterinary pathology, and wildlife sciences.
Proposals are ranked in the following order of descending priority:
1. Studies already in progress which need to be extended into or through the coming year.
2. New studies initiated on the Foundation's Refuge.
3. Proposals concerning problems or species on which we previously worked or in which we have special interest because of its relationship to our research. These normally are within a reasonable radius of our locality and most of them are restricted to south Texas.

The Clara Mayo Grant program was set up to support masters' theses or pre-dissertation research on aspects of sexism, racism, or prejudice, with preference given to students enrolled in a terminal master's degree program.

The overarching goal of the Graham Doctoral Fellowship Program (DFP) is to create a cohort of doctoral students who will ultimately engage in leadership roles within academia, industry, and government.  Each year, the Graham Insitute competitively selets and admits 6 doctoral candidates into the Graham Doctoral Fellowship Program.  The group will be selected to represent a broad balance ofinterests in enhance the interdisciplinary aspect of the collaboration.  Each Fellow receives $25,000 per year for two years to help support their doctoral-level research and studies.  Match support is required from the home department.  Applicants are reviewed by a strict set of criteria and considered only if their doctoral research project is related to environmental sustainability.

The SPSSI Committee on Grants-in-Aid (GIA) wishes to support scientific research in social problem areas related to the basic interests and goals of SPSSI and particularly those that are not likely to receive support from traditional sources. The Committee especially encourages proposals involving (a) unique and timely research opportunities, (b) underrepresented institutions, graduate students, and junior scholars, (c) volunteer research teams, and (d) actual, not pilot, projects.   Funding up to $1,000 is available for graduate student research, with strong preference given to applications from students at the dissertation stage of the graduate career. Such proposals must be accompanied by an appropriate official university agreement to match the amount requested. This matching requirement will not be waived. Funding up to $2,000 is available for research by SPSSI members who already have a Ph.D.  Documentation of submission to the applicant's Institution IRB must accompany every submission. In exceptional circumstances the amount may exceed $2,000. The usual grant from SPSSI is for up to $2,000 for post-doctoral work and up to $1,000 for pre-doctoral work.

Valued at $250,000, the fellowship is focused on empowering young scientists and engineers with the freedom to innovate. This allows exceptional applied scientists and engineers the freedom to pursue their own ideas with financial independence.  Funding may be available up to 5 years.