That's a large number of grants.
As of today, the National Geographic Society has issued 10,000 grants funding research and exploration since 1890--including ten National Geographic grant projects that, according to an internal panel, "have made the greatest difference in understanding the Earth."
Barbara Moffet interviews Krithi Karanth, a 32-year-old conservation biologist based in Bangalore, India, the recipient of National Geographic's 10,000th grant (since the first in 1890). Dr. Karanth, who grew up around the wild animals of India's national parks, will use the funds to examine the conflicts that are occurring frequently between humans and India's storied wildlife such as tigers and Asian elephants. As in many places around the world, wildlife are under increasing pressures in India, especially as they seek out food on farmland. Dr. Karanth answers questions about her pioneering research: