International Conservation Project Funders

Institution
African Bird Club

Award/Scholarshi
p
Conservation
Award; Expedition
Award

African Wildlife
Foundation

Charlotte
Fellowship;
Macarthur
Professional
Leadership in
Conservation Award

Alexander F.
Skutch Award

Research grant

Description
The ABC's Conservation Programme supports small
conservation projects in Africa. Conservation awards
are given to projects surveying and researching
African birds, educational projects or training
courses, production of guides to the common birds
of a country in local languages, interpretation
material for nature reserves, and other ideas will be
considered. Expedition awards are provided for
larger projects.
In 1996, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)
introduced the Charlotte Conservation Fellowships
to provide support for African nationals pursuing
masters degree courses or doctoral research.
Charlotte Fellowships enable recipients to improve
their qualifications, update their skills, acquire the
latest information on natural resource management
and adapt new technologies to their work. The
Program is committed to enhancing the
effectiveness and impact of African nationals in the
field of conservation through the increased
knowledge, skills, and credentials obtained through
an advanced degree. AWF is offering scholarships
for full or partial MSc or Ph.D. programs with field
research components that produce knowledge
offering solutions or insight into specific
conservation challenges that complement AWF's
conservation programs in the African Heartlands.
The countries of focus for this year's program are
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Expenses that AWF expects to cover under the
scholarship will vary depending on the individual
program selected by the scholarship recipient.
Funding to support the study of life histories,
especially social relations and reproduction, of little
known birds on the continental neotropics, including
Trinidad and Tobago.

Award
Amount
Conservation
Award:
US$1,000;
Expedition
award:
US$1500

Website
http://www.africanbirdclub.
org/
conservation@africanbirdcl
ub.org

Scholarships
valued at a
max of
US$20,000.

http://www.awf.org/

One award of
US$8,000 $10,000
offered
annually.

http://www.afonet.org/engli
sh/skutchapp_english.pdf

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution
Amazon
Conservation
Association

Award/Scholarshi
p
Peruvian university
student award;
Graduate research
grant; Seed grant

American Bird
Conservancy

William Belton
Small Grants Fund

American
Museum of
Natural History

International
Graduate Student
Fellowship Program

American Society

Latin American

Description
The Amazon Conservation Association (ACA) and its
Peruvian counterpart, Asociacin para la
Conservacin de la Cuenca Amaznica (ACCA)
announce three grant programs to support field
research in pure and applied biology, systematics,
resource use and related topics at the Los Amigos
Research Center and Conservation Area in
Amazonian Peru during 2004.
ABC's William Belton Small Grants Fund will provide
support for projects to conserve Endangered and
Critically Endangered bird species in Latin America
and the Caribbean, in partnership with the U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service. Conservation projects at sites
identified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction as
essential for the conservation of Endangered and
Critically Endangered bird species will be given
highest priority for support. ABC Small Grants can
provide funding for development of Conservation
Plans. Completed Plans would be required to include
the following information (these items are not
required for the initial proposal): Deadlines for
applications do apply.
One or two people per year receive funding to enter
a doctoral program at Columbia, Cornell, Yale or City
University of NY. The program aims to equip
students with the practical and theoretical training
in conservation biology they will need to address
environmental problems in their home countries.
Currently, six students are enrolled, among them
citizens of countries in which the CBC has ongoing
research projects. Most have presented their
research at international conferences, as well as
published in leading scientific journals. Since the
program's inception, five Ph.D. students and three
Master's students have completed their studies,
including two Ph.D. recipients in June 2003.
The Latin American Fellowship has been established

Award
Amount
Peruvian
student award
-- US$3,000 $5,000; Grad
grant -$5,000; Seed
grants -$20,000
Most grants
less than
$5,000.

Website
www.amazonconservation.
org/home/grants.htm

http://www.abcbirds.org/int
ernational/small_grants_20
04.htm

Website:
http://research.amnh.org/bi
odiversity/center/programs
/grad.html
Contact: Ana Luz
Porzecanski
Tel: 212-313-7052
Email: alporze@amnh.org.

US$1,000

http://www.mammalsociety

International Conservation Project Funders

of Mammologists

Award/Scholarshi
p
Fellowship

American Society
of Primatologists

Awards; small
grants

Bat Conservation
International

Student Scholarship
Program

Institution

British American
Tobacco
Biodiversity
Partnership

Description
to promote the support of field research by Latin
Americans in Latin America. Eligible students must
be citizens of Latin American countries (excluding
Puerto Rico), and enrolled in a graduate program in
either a Latin American or North American
university. Proposed projects must be primarily field
oriented with a research emphasis in the areas of
natural history, conservation, ecology, systematics,
wildlife biology, biogeography, or behavior. These
areas of research in mammalogy shall be
considered equally important by the selection
committee.
Awards and small grants for primate research.
Each year, BCI sponsors students in conducting
conservation-relevant research. Lack of knowledge
about bat ecology and behavior is one of the
greatest impediments to bat conservation progress.
The goal of this program is to support exceptionally
talented students in research initiatives that will
contribute new knowledge essential to conserving
bats and the ecosystems they serve. To this end,
BCI has set aside a minimum of $40,000 annually
for its student scholarship fund.
The British American Tobacco Biodiversity
Partnership, launched in 2000, involves British
American Tobacco and four conservation NGOs:
Earthwatch Europe; Fauna & Flora International; the
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and the Tropical Biology
Association. It aims to: work through external
projects to contribute to the conservation of global
biodiversity by building a portfolio of activities that
assist countries where the partners operate in
meeting their obligations under the Convention on
Biological Diversity; and work within the British
American Tobacco Group and amongst the other

Award
Amount

Website
.org/committees/indexlatin.
asp

Awards: $750;
Small grants:
$1500
Awards range
from $1,000 $2,500; and
average about
$2,000 each.

http://www.asp.org/conserv
ation
http://www.batcon.org/

www.batbiodiversity.org

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

British Ecological
Society (BES)

Early Career Project

Grants

British Ecological
Society (BES)

BES Bursaries and

Fellowships

British Ecological
Society (BES)

Expedition Grants

Description
partners to enhance the partners own ability to
conserve and manage biodiversity. British American
Tobacco is donating 1 million a year to the
Partnership for an initial five years.
The aim of this programme is to assist promising
young ecologists by supporting innovative or
important research of a pure or applied nature.
Initiating or developing research programmes is
becoming increasing difficult for ecologists during
the early stages of their career, and this programme
principally aims to provide an opportunity for
ecologists recently appointed to academic posts to
establish themselves.
British Ecological Society (BES) Overseas Bursaries
scheme provides grants for ecologists in developing
countries for innovative ecological research. It aims
to encourage links between ecologists in developing
countries with those in the UK and other European
countries.
The Expedition Grants are intended to further the
education of young ecologists by extending their
experience overseas through assisting student
expeditions. No restriction is made on the
country(ies) visited, but travel must normally be to
or from the United Kingdom or Eire (sixth form
expeditions may be within the UK). Expeditions
must consist of at least three people (preferably
undergraduates or sixth-form students), although
participation of postgraduate students and staff is
not excluded. It is understood that teaching staff
may help in the planning of the expedition, and
participate in the trip, but it should be clear that the
application is not for a field or adventure training
course. The expedition should be distinct from
timetabled teaching activities and should primarily
have been planned and organised by students.
Funding will not be given for work that contributes

Award
Amount

Website

Grants up to
25,000.

http://www.britishecologica
lsociety.org/articles/grants/
research/ecpg/

Grants up to
7,000.

http://www.britishecologica
lsociety.org/articles/grants/
research/obf/

Grants up to
2,000.

http://www.britishecologica
lsociety.org/articles/grants/
research/expedition/

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

British
Ornithologists
Union

Research grants

Canon USA, Inc.

Canon National
Parks Science
Scholars Program
for the Americas

Center for

Research grants

Description
directly to the higher degree of any of the
expedition members.
The British Ornithologists Union will promote
understanding and conservation of the worlds
birds, advance ornithology within the scientific
community and promote scientific ornithology to
the wider bird watching public. The BOU has a long
tradition of providing financial support for research
and expeditions. It administers the David Lack and
Landsborough Thomson Trusts, funded by bequests
and donations, from which research grants are
awarded annually to sponsor scientific and
conservation projects. Most of BOUs support is in
the form of small grants, but the BOU does from
time to time sponsor much larger projects.
The Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program
for the Americas has an ambitious goal: To
encourage the best graduate students in the
Americas to conduct research critical for conserving
national parks throughout the region. For this
program, the Americas include Canada, the United
States, Mexico, the countries of Central and South
America, and the countries of the Caribbean. The
program's objectives are to: 1.) support research on
critical problems facing the regions national parks,
2.) encourage the use of national parks as
laboratories for science, and 3.) develop world
leaders in science and conservation. By providing
support to Ph.D. students throughout the region,
the Canon National Parks Science Scholars Program
for the Americas hopes to develop the next
generation of scientists working in the fields of
conservation, environmental science, and national
park management. It is these scientists who will
learn, discover, invent and create solutions to
preserve the national parks of the 21st century.
Program is designed to provide opportunities for

Award
Amount

Website

Grants of
1000.

http://www.bou.org/

US$78,000 ea.
for 8
individuals.

http://www.nature.nps.gov/
canonscholarships/

US$3,000 -

http://www.ctfs.si.edu/CTFS

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Tropical Forest
Science
(Smithsonian
Tropical Research
Institute)
ChevronTexaco

Conservation
Awards

Chicago
Zoological
Society

Cleveland
Metroparks Zoo

Scott Neotropical
Fund

Description
senior researchers and graduate, predoctoral and
postdoctoral students to utilize existing Forest
Dynamic Plots and to conduct research with
scientists associate with these plots. Preference is
given to scientists from the countries with CTFS
sites and to all graduate students and post-doctoral
researchers.
Program annually recognizes outstanding
contributions of individuals and organizations to the
conservation of natural resources.
Brookfield Zoo provides small grants assistance for
conservation and research projects that help
support and advance the zoo's mission. The
Chicago Zoological Society Conservation and
Research Fund, in operation since 1976, has
provided nearly 200 grants for field conservation
and research. Typically, grants and awards help
scientists, conservationists, or graduate students
focusing on research and conservation projects
concerned with species, geographic areas, or topics
of concern to the zoo. Applications for grants are by
invitation only and are screened carefully to identify
projects of the highest priority to the zoo.
The Scott Neotropical Fund was initiated to provide
funds to deserving students and scientists living
and working in Latin America. Annual awards are
made to research and conservation initiatives
involving animals and their habitat or programs
involving local people that directly impact animal
conservation. The primary beneficiary of the funds
as well as the impact of the project must be within
the neotropics (Mexico, Central America, South
America and the Caribbean). The Scott Neotropical
Fund supports the work of neotropical residents in
their countries through direct project support,

Award
Amount
$5,000 (with
one or two
larger awards
up to $40,000)

%20Research%20Grants
%208-04.pdf

Six awards are

given per year
in the amount
of $10,000.

http://www.chevrontexaco.
com/social_responsibility/c
ommunity/programs_conse
rvation.asp

Website

http://www.brookfieldzoo.or
g/

Awards range
from $3000 $5000.

http://www.clemetzoo.com/
conservation/grants.asp

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Columbus Zoo
Conservation
Fund

Conservation and
Research
Foundation

Conservation
International
Critically
Endangered
Neotropical
Species Fund

Research grant

Conservation
International

Research grants

Description
training opportunities, and/or technical assistance
that will continue to benefit the local people, wildlife
and habitats of the neotropics into the future.
The Conservation Fund serves as a small grants
program that field researchers throughout the world
can access by submitting applications directly to
the Field Conservation Coordinator. The
conservation committee reviews proposals each
month, and in 2003, the zoo has provided funds to
over 80 projects in 36 countries.
The Foundation awards grants for seed money to
promote conservation and enlightened use of
renewable natural resources; encourage related
research in the biological sciences; deepen
understanding of the relationships between man
and the environment; and address the problem of
overpopulation. Preferred projects are those that
might not qualify for funding from traditional
sources. Grants are made to organisations as well
as individuals. In the area of research, the sponsor
prefers to support investigations that might be
ineligible for funding from conventional sources.
Scholarships are not provided. Inquiry regarding the
possibility of support should be in the form of an
exploratory letter.
CENSF aims to contribute to global biodiversity
conservation by providing strategically targeted,
catalytic support for the conservation of Critically
Endangered species (as listed on the 2002 IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species; www.redlist.org) living in
their natural habitats in the Neotropics (here
defined as all of Latin America, from Mexico
southwards, and including the Caribbean and other
offshore islands). Program does not accept
unsolicited proposals.
Provides strategically targeted, catalytic support for
the conservation of endangered nonhuman

Award
Amount

Website

http://www.colszoo.org/Con
servation/con2001.html

Up to
US$5,000

http://biodiversityeconomic
s.org/funding/dir3-13.htm

Awards range
from $1,000 $3,000 with a
max of
$5,000.

Contact: Mike Hoffman

m.hoffman@conservation.
org

Contact: Bill Konstant

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Margot Marsh
Biodiversity
Foundation

Conservation
International
Primate Action
Fund

Research grant

Conservation

Research grant

Description
primates and their natural habitats. Projects
submitted to the foundation should have one or
more of the following characteristics: focus on
critically endangered and endangered nonhuman
primates living in their natural habitats; be
conducted in areas of high overall biodiversity and
under great threat (e.g., threatened hotspots,
megadiversity countries) - to ensure maximum
multiplier effect for each project; be carried out by
nationals from the tropical countries to increase
local capacity for implementing biodiversity
conservation; be projects that strengthen
international networks of field-based primate
specialists and enhance their capacity to be
successful conservationists; and result in
publication of information on endangered primate
species in a format that is useful both to experts
and the general public.
Projects submitted to the foundation should have
one or more of the following characteristics: a focus
on critically endangered and endangered nonhuman
primates living in their natural habitats; location in
areas of high overall biodiversity and under great
threat (e.g., threatened hotspots, megadiversity
countries) - to ensure maximum multiplier effect for
each project; direction and management by
nationals from the tropical countries, to help
increase local capacity for implementing
biodiversity conservation; the ability to strengthen
international networks of field-based primate
specialists and enhance their capacity to be
successful conservationists; and projects that result
in publication of information on endangered primate
species in a format that is useful both to experts
and the general public. Program does not accept
unsolicited proposals.
Awards are granted to organizations or individuals

Award
Amount

Website

Awards range
from US
$1,000 $3,000 with a
max of
$5,000.

Contact: Anthony Rylands

a.rylands@conservation.or
g

Awards range

http://www.chelonian.org/t

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

International
Turtle
Conservation
Fund

Critical
Ecosystem
Partnership Fund
(CEPF)

Darwin Initiative

Main Darwin
projects
Darwin Scholarships
Pre-project funding
Post-project funding

Description
for specific conservation or research projects
dealing with tortoises or freshwater turtles, but not
marine turtles, with either partial or full support as
funding allows. Priority for funding is usually given
to projects that focus on species that are already
highly threatened according to the IUCN Red List
criteria, either Critically Endangered or Endangered,
or which may be highly threatened but not yet
recognized as such. Award recipients enter into
contractual agreement with Conservation
International to produce the proposed work (CI
serves as TCF's umbrella organization). Award
recipients are also encouraged to publish at least
partial results of the supported research in the
international scientific turtle journal, Chelonian
Conservation and Biology, published by TCF Alliance
Partner Chelonian Research Foundation.
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF). A joint
initiative between Conservation International, The
Global Environment Facility, the MacArthur
Foundation and the World Bank. Investments
support such projects as managing of protected
areas and coordinating biodiversity corridors;
training; transboundary planning; encouraging local
dialogue with extractive industries; engaging in
conflict resolution; priority setting and consensus
building; strengthening indigenous organizations
and facilitating partnerships between the private
sector and protected areas.
To assist countries rich in biodiversity but poor in
resources with the conservation of biological
diversity and implementation of the Biodiversity
Convention. To draw on British expertise in the field
of biodiversity. Projects funded under the Initiative
will be collaborative, involving either local
institutions or communities in the host country.
Projects will have a real impact on the ability of the

Award
Amount
from $1000 $5000.

Website
cf/
Contact: Rod Mast
Email:
r.mast@conservation.org

http://www.cepf.net/xp/cep
f/

35,000 70,000 per yr

per project
(most project
last 3 years)

http://www.darwin.gov.uk/

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Disney

Wildlife
Conservation Fund

Earthwatch
Institute

Research Grants;
African Fellowship

Description
host country to meet its obligations under the
Biodiversity Convention. Projects will be of high
quality and scientific (or other appropriate
professional) excellence. Whenever possible,
Darwin funding will be used as a catalyst to lever
additional funding for project work, which would not
otherwise be forthcoming. The outputs and
outcomes from projects should be additional to that
from work being funded through other mainstream
environmental or research programmes. Projects
funded under the Initiative will demonstrate good
value for money. Darwin Scholarships are targeted
at promising members of recent or current Darwin
Initiative projects and are from countries rich in
biodiversity but poor in financial resources. Drawing
on UK expertise in biodiversity, the programme
aims to give Scholars the opportunity to broaden
their professional knowledge and experience in
biodiversity, typically through work experience in
UK organisations.
The Fund was established in 1995 as a global
awards program for the study and protection of the
world's wildlife and ecosystems. It provides annual
awards to US non-profit conservation organizations
working alongside their peers in other countries.
Many of the recipient organizations concentrate
their activities on "biological hotspots" - areas rich
in plant and animal life at risk of imminent
destruction. Since its inception, the Fund has
supported more than 200 projects in 20 countries.
Each project is evaluated on specific criteria,
including scientific methodologies, magnitude of
need, involvement of partner organizations, ability
to impact an area in the near-term and elements of
public education and community involvement.
Any project that Earthwatch supports must be able
to demonstrate clearly how the outcomes will

Award
Amount

Website

http://disney.go.com/disney
hand/environmentality/ind
ex.html

Per capita
grants

http://www.earthwatch.org/
europe/

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

East Asia and

Pacific
Environmental
Initiative
EPA

Award/Scholarshi
p
Program

Star Graduate
Fellowship

Description
address local or global environmental issues. We
currently support 140 projects in 50 countries,
ranging from mangrove restoration of the Kenyan
coastline, or exploring how insect interactions
maintain critically endangered habitat in Costa
Rica's tropical forest, through to monitoring bird
migration between Europe and Africa. Earthwatch
awards grants on a per capita basis, determined by
multiplying the per capita grant by the number of
volunteers deployed to the project.
The long-term goal of the African Fellowship
Program is to build the capacity of African
conservation institutions through providing training,
in an African context, to their staff. The two-week
field placements are intensive but cause minimal
disruption to the institutions' day-to-day activities,
because staff is only released for a short period.
Fellowships are open to people with a wide range of
academic and professional backgrounds, including
those with experience but no formal qualifications.
Earthwatch works with 23 local partners to: 1.)
provide young scientists with the skills and
confidence to engage in their own research
programs, 2.) bridge the skills gap to enable NGO
workers and park staff to understand and
participate in data collection and processing. The
Programme started in 1994, and over 670
conservation professionals from 25 African countries
have been awarded Fellowships.
International Development Aid Donor Internet
Guide. Excellent resource with comprehensive,
annotated links to dozens of donors present on the
web.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as
part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR)
program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for
master's and doctoral level students in

Award
Amount
average $900
(range $250
to $1,200),
and project
grants
average
$25,000
(range $7,000
to $130,000)
annually.

Website
http://www.earthwatch.org/

http://eapei.home.att.net/d
psites.htm
US$37,000

http://www.umass.edu/rese
arch/gsgs/epastar.html

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Erik Hosking
Trust

European
Tropical Forest
Research
Network
Explorers Club
(US)

Award/Scholarshi
p

Small grants

Exploration Fund

Exxonmobil/Esso

Save the Tiger Fund

Fauna and Flora

International

Flagship Species
Fund

Description
environmentally-related fields of study. Applicants
must be citizens of the United States, or its
territories or possessions, or be lawfully admitted to
the United States for permanent residence.
Awards are granted annually to applicants pursuing
project on birds and other natural history subjects
that are of scientific and conservation value, using
the media of writing, photography, painting or
illustration.
The ETFRN is a forum for communication between
European organizations, researchers, EU institutions
and others concerned with (sub-)tropical forest
research.
The Exploration Fund of The Explorers Club provides
grants in support of exploration and field research.
Grants in amounts up to $1,200 are made primarily
to graduate students. Applicants do not have to be
members of The Explorers Club and do not have to
reside in the United States to qualify for an award.
The Save The Tiger Fund supports organizations and
governmental agencies to conduct a broad range of
tiger conservation activities. To date, the Fund has
provided awards to 53 grantees. The Fund's
diversity of grant recipients has grown every year.
In 2002, we have invested in 19 projects and
supported a total of 15 grantees, four of them new
to the Fund.
The Flagship Species Fund aims to provide practical
support to the conservation of endangered species
and their associated ecosystems in developing
countries. This dedicated fund focuses on popular
and highly visible threatened species of animals
and plants. The Flagship Species Fund Small Grants
Programme provides urgently needed support to
small scale and pilot conservation projects
worldwide, funding activities concerned directly
with the protection of endangered flagship species.

Award
Amount

500

Website

http://www.hoskingtours.co.uk/EricHosking/Bu
rsary.pdf
http://www.etfrn.org/etfrn/r
esource/frames/linkfund.ht
ml

US$1200

http://explorers.org/researc
h_grants.php

http://www.nfwf.org/progra
ms/stf.htm

http://www.faunaflora.org/help/funds.html

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Ford Foundation

International
Fellowship Program

Haribon
Foundation

Conservation
Research Grants

Idea Wild
Institute of
International
Education

Fulbright and
Humphrey
scholarships

Description
The Programme now disperses grants once a year
rather than three times a year.
The International Fellowships Program provides
support for up to three years of formal graduatelevel study leading to a masters or doctoral degree.
Fellows are selected from countries in Asia, Africa,
the Middle East, Latin America, and Russia, where
the Ford Foundation maintains active overseas
programs. U.S. nationals are not eligible, although
Fellows may study in the US. (Environment and
Development is one of 15 fields of study and falls
within Asset Bldg and Community Dev. The
foundation has invested $280 million through 2010.
Haribon in cooperation with the Critical Ecosystems
Partnership Fund awards research grants to fill in
gaps in knowledge of threatened species and their
habitats, and to build local capacity for research.
Proposals for field-based projects are accepted from
students, conservationists, enthusiasts and
organizations from all over the Philippines. Museum
and laboratory-based components may be included.
Proposals are evaluated based on: 1.) Relevance to
the conservation of threatened species and their
habitats; 2.) Scientific merit and value of the
research; 3.) Capacity of researcher(s) to conduct
the study; 4.) contribution to the professional
development of Filipino researchers.
Provides equipment and supplies for projects from
$50 to $1500 USD.
The Fulbright Fellowship Program was established
over 50 years ago and provides awards to 5,000
foreign nationals from 140 nations each year
through their home country mission or US embassy.
The Humphrey Program is a one-year graduate
exchange program that falls within the Fulbright
program and has been in existence since 1978.
Natural resource and environmental management is

Award
Amount

Website

http://www.fordfound.org/w
hat/initiatives.cfm

Max. grant
amount for a
one-year
project for
professionals
and
organizations
is PhP250,000
(US$4500);
and
PhP100,000
(US$1800) for
undergraduate
students.

http://www.haribon.org.ph/
?q=

http://www.ideawild.org/
Humphrey
Fellowships
are granted in
the amount of
$55,000 to
$58,000.

http://www.iie.org/

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

International
Foundation for
Sciences

IFS grantee awards

Danida award
Jubilee award
Sven Brohult award

International
Primatological
Society

Martha J. Galante
Award, Lawrence
Jacobsen Education
Development
Award, Charles
Southwick Cons Ed
Commitment
Award, and Captive
Care Grant

Description
one of 12 targeted fields. Fellows are placed in US
universities and participate in graduate-level
coursework and other professional development
activities according to their area of interest.
The IFS has an award scheme that is intended to
give recognition to IFS grantees for noteworthy
achievements clearly associated with research work
supported by IFS. The following Awards are
available only to IFS Grantees and are given for
noteworthy achievements which are clearly
associated with work supported fully or in part by
IFS. Danida -- This Award is intended for IFS
grantees in Sub-Saharan countries. The Award, in
the amount of US$2,000, is given up to 12 times per
year. Jubilee -- This Award is intended for IFS
grantees from northern Africa, Asia and the Pacific,
and Latin America and the Caribbean. The Award, in
the amount of US$2,000, is given up to 8 times per
year. Sven Brohult -- The Sven Brohult Award, in the
amount of US$10,000 is the most prestigious of the
IFS Awards. It is given to an IFS grantee once every
three years.
IPS offers small monetary grants to those
conducting projects congruent with the aims of our
society. Martha J. Galante -- grant proposals are
solicited from professionals of habitat countries of
primates. Money awarded could be used for
conservation training. Lawrence Jacobsen -Education Committee of IPS solicits grants of up to
$1000 to support the development of primate
conservation education programs. These initiatives
should support field conservation programs, work
with local community and/or schools, or are used to
provide training in conservation education
techniques. Charles Southwick -- this award is
dedicated to recognizing individuals living in
primate habitat countries that have made a

Award
Amount

Website

Danida and
Jubilee -$2,000; Sven
Brohult -$10,000.

http://www.ifs.se/index.htm

Awards range
from $750 $1000

http://pin.primate.wisc.edu
/ips/

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

International
Tropical Timber
Organization

Award/Scholarshi
p

Freezailah
Fellowship Fund

IUCN
LASPAU

Fulbright-OAS
Ecology Initiative

Description
significant contribution to formal and informal
conservation education in their countries. The
amount of the award is $750: $500 will be given
directly to the recipient and $250 will be given in
the recipient's name to a project of their choosing in
their community. Captive Care -- grants of up to
$1000 for projects focusing on captive care issues
that relate to: (1) the status of primates in captivity
(e.g., sanctuaries, private, commercial) in range
countries, (2) information from local wildlife officials
and field researchers on the problems relating to
captive primates, and (3) improving conditions for
the well-being of captive primates in range
countries.
ITTO offers fellowships through the Freezailah
Fellowship Fund to promote human resource
development and to strengthen professional
expertise in member countries in tropical forestry
and related disciplines. The goal is to promote the
sustainable management of tropical forests, the
efficient use and processing of tropical timber, and
better economic information about the international
trade in tropical timber.
The World Conservation Union provides a list of
IUCN Corporate Partners in Conservation but does
not run any grant programmes.
The program offers grants to individuals from Latin
America, the Caribbean, and Canada for masters
and doctoral level study at U.S. universities.
Grantees in the natural sciences, social sciences,
and public policy study multidisciplinary approaches
to environmental preservation and sustainable
development. The goal of the initiative is to develop
a well-prepared cadre of environmental
professionals who, upon completion of their studies,
will return to their institutions to share their
expertise with colleagues while maintaining contact

Award
Amount

US$10,000

Website

http://www.itto.or.jp/

http://www.iucn.org/
http://www.laspau.harvard.
edu/grant-LASPAU.htm

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Lincoln Park Zoo

Neotropic Fund;
Africa/Asia Fund

Lindbergh
Foundation

Lindbergh Grant

Liz Claiborne and

Art Ortenberg
Foundation

Description
with each other.
The Lincoln Park Zoo Neotropic Fund is supported
by an annual gift from a single donor. The fund
strives to ensure the future of conservation in Latin
America by making small grants to young
conservation biologists working throughout Latin
America and the Caribbean Islands. Since its
inception in 1986, the fund has supported over 125
projects in 18 countries and made awards totaling
over $700,000. The Neotropic Fund supports
research in Latin Amerce and Caribbean countries,
preferentially involving researchers from those
areas.
A new fund, the Lincoln Park Zoo Africa/Asia Fund
was created to support conservation efforts of
young biologists conducting field research in Africa,
Asia and the Pacific. The Africa/Asia Fund supports
research in Africa and Asia and preferentially
involving researchers from those areas.
Each fund typically supports between five and six
projects annually, including project renewals for a
second year. By emphasizing support for young
conservation biologists working in their own
countries, the Lincoln Park Zoo Conservation Fund
assists a new generation of researchers in
becoming the environmental decision-makers of
tomorrow and strengthens the core of conservation
leadership throughout the world.
Provides grand funding in a number of areas, one of
which is the conservation of natural resources,
including animals, plants, water, and general
conservation (land, air, energy, etc.
The Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation is a
private body devoted to the conservation of nature
and the amelioration of human distress. The
Foundation seeks to redress the breakdown in the
processes linking nature and humanity. It concerns

Award
Amount

Website

Awards are
given in the
amount of
$3000-6000.

http://www.lpzoo.com/cons
ervation/

Grants up to
$10,500.

http://www.lindberghfound
ation.org/
http://www.lcaof.org/

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

MacArthur
Foundation
Max and Anna
Levinson
Foundation

National
Geographic

Research and
Exploration Fund

Description
itself particularly with matters of species extinction,
habitat destruction and fragmentation, resource
depletion and resource waste. It favors solutions
which directly benefit local communities and serve
as exemplars for saving species and wildlands. It
recognizes the imperative to reconcile nature
preservation with human needs and aspirations.
(Funding through institutions)
Private grant-making institution awarding grants
through four programs: Human and Community
Development, Global Security and Sustainability,
General and MacArthur Fellows.
The Levinson Foundation is a private family
foundation that has been in existence since 1955
and makes grants to individuals and groups
committed to developing a more humane and
rewarding society, in which people have a greater
ability and opportunity to determine directions for
the future. Area of interest: The Environment:
including Protection of Ecosystems and Biological
Diversity; Alternative Energy and Protection of the
Atmosphere; Alternative Agriculture and
Transportation; Breaking the Link Between Illegal
Resource Extraction, Civil Conflict and Markets; and
the Development of the Israeli Environmental
Movement.
The National Geographic Society awards grants for
scientific field research and exploration through its
Committee for Research and Exploration. All
proposed projects must have both a geographical
dimension and relevance to other scientific fields
and be of broad scientific interest. The committee is
emphasizing multidisciplinary projects that address
environmental issues (e.g., loss of biodiversity and
habitat, effects of human-population pressures).
Funding is not restricted to United States citizens.
Researchers planning work in foreign countries

Award
Amount

Website

http://www.macfound.org/

Grants range
from $10,000 $20,000

http://www.levinsonfoundat
ion.org/index.html

US$15,000 $20,000

http://www.nationalgeogra
phic.com/research/grant_a
pplication.html

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

National
Geographic
Conservation
Trust

Research grant

National Science
Foundation

Environmental
research grants;
Education grants
Research grants

Neotropical Bird
Club
Netherlands
Committee
IUCN

Small Grants for

Wetlands Program
(SWP)

Description
should include at least one local collaborator as part
of their research teams. The committee will not
consider applications seeking support solely for
laboratory work or archival research. While grants
are awarded on the basis of scientific merit and
exist independent of the Society's other divisions,
grant recipients are expected to provide the Society
with rights of first refusal for popular publication of
their findings. Applicants are expected to have
advanced degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent) and be
associated with an educational organization or
institution.
The objective of the Conservation Trust is to support
conservation activities around the world as they fit
within the mission of the National Geographic
Society. The trust will fund projects that contribute
significantly to the preservation and sustainable use
of the Earth's biological, cultural, and historical
resources. Applicants are not expected to have
Ph.D.'s or other advanced degrees. However,
applicants must provide a record of prior research
or conservation action as it pertains to the proposed
project. Funding is not restricted to United States
citizens. Researchers planning work in foreign
countries should include at least one local
collaborator as part of their research teams.

Award
Amount

Awards range
from
US$15,000 $20,000

Website

http://www.nationalgeogra
phic.com/conservation/

http://www.nsf.gov/
Grants are available for conservation work or
research which may be of conservation benefit in
the neotropics.
The new phase of SWP has started the 1st of
January 2004 and will last until December 2006. The
next deadlines for submitting proposals will be 1
March 2004 and 1 September 2004. The list of
countries in which NGO projects may be funded has

US$500 to
$1500
Max amount
awarded is
Euro 85.000
(US$103,600)
for first-time

http://www.neotropicalbird
club.org/club/conserve.htm
l
http://www.nciucn.nl/englis
h/funds/wetlands/

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Description
been expanded.

Organization for
Tropical Studies

Research
Fellowships

Padi Foundation

Research grants

Peoples Trust for

Endangered
Species

Research grants

Primate
Conservation,
Inc.

OTS offers research fellowships to graduate

students enrolled in degree programs at OTS
member institutions and to OTS alumni. In 2000
OTS awarded almost $90,000. Post-course awards
are small amounts for up to two weeks of study
after a course. Research Fellowships are to assist
thesis research in tropical biology and related fields
proposals for research at OTS biological stations
receive priority. OTS and Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute also have fellowships for
comparative research at facilities in Costa Rica and
Panama.
The PADI FOUNDATION encourages and supports
underwater science, environmental projects, and
education. The Foundation will fund and assist
worthwhile projects that will enrich mankind's
understanding of the aquatic environment and
encourage sensitivity to and protection of the
delicate ecological balance of underwater life.
People's Trust for Endangered Species makes funds
available for wildlife researchers and
conservationists to carry out crucial work on
globally threatened species throughout the world.
Projects may either focus on research into the
status of a particular species or involve practical
conservation work within the field. Priority is given
to those projects that are likely to lead to a lasting
benefit to the species concerned. PTES also
provides grants for students carrying out practical
conservation projects and research in the summer
months of their undergraduate degree. Applications
for Masters and PhD students will not be accepted.
PCI is a non-profit foundation, which funds research
that supports conservation programmes for wild
populations of primates. Priority is given to projects

Award
Amount
and follow-up
awards.
Awards up to
$5000.

Website

http://www.ots.duke.edu/in
dex_nao.php

Grants up to
$20,000;
average
award amount
is $5,000 $10,000.

http://www.padifoundation.
org/

Individual
grants range
from 100 5000.

http://www.ptes.org/Fundin
g/funding_details_page.ht
m
http://www.ptes.org/Fundin
g/PTES%20Guidelines.PDF

Grants range
from US$2500
- $5000

http://www.primate.org/

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Ramsar

Award/Scholarshi
p

Ramsar Wetland
Conservation Award

Rockefeller
Foundation

Rolex

Rolex Awards for

Enterprise

Description
that study the least known and endangered species
in their natural habitat. The involvement of citizens
from the country in which the primates are found is
desirable. The grant is intended t provide support
for original research that can be used to formulate
and to implement conservation plans for the
species being studied. Asia and West Africa are of
particular interest, but all regions will be
considered.
The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award was
established in 1996 by Resolution VI.18 of the 6th
Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting
Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar,
Iran, 1971) in order to recognise and honour the
contributions of individuals, organisations, and
governments around the world towards promoting
the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
The Rockefeller Foundation is a knowledge-based,
global foundation with a commitment to enrich and
sustain the lives and livelihoods of poor and
excluded people throughout the world. Grants are
organized in categories: by themes, cross-theme,
Regional Programs and Special Programs (which
includes Global Philanthropy, Next Generation
Leadership, Population and the Cairo Agenda,
Communication for Social Change and Other
Grants).
The Rolex Awards for Enterprise aim to encourage a
spirit of enterprise in individuals around the world
by supporting outstanding efforts in areas that
advance human knowledge and well-being. The
Rolex Awards provide financial assistance to people
who want to implement concrete working projects.
Applicants must submit projects that are envisaged
for the future or that have been completed in part.
The 2006 Selection Committee invites applications
for projects that fall into the following areas: science

Award
Amount

US$10,000

Website

http://www.ramsar.org/key_
award_criteria_e.htm

www.rockfound.org

5 awards/year
at US$100,000
ea.

http://www.rolexawards.co
m/home-flash.html

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Royal
Geographical
Society

Expedition
Research Grants

Royal Society for

the Protection of
Birds

Critically
Endangered Bird
Species Research

Shell Corp.

Marine Habitat
Program

Shell Foundation

Description
and medicine; technology and innovation;
exploration and discovery; the environment; and
cultural heritage. Projects must expand knowledge
of our world, improve the quality of life on the
planet or contribute to the betterment of
humankind.
The Societys grants are wide-ranging and offer
support to individual researchers, expedition teams
and schoolteachers. Grants are for work in both the
UK and overseas. The Society has many small
grants for scientific expeditions working in remote
and challenging environments. For these, it
encourages projects that add to the geographical
knowledge of a region and contribute to
development and conservation priorities, working
closely with local communities and scholars.
Each year, the Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds (RSPB), the BirdLife Partner in the UK, offers
grants to fund research on the approximately 190
bird species listed by IUCN as Critically
Endangered. Only work on these species will be
considered for grants. Priority will be given to
people working in-country, particularly BirdLife
Partners and other conservation NGOs, although
individuals not attached to an institution may also
apply if they can obtain a letter of support from a
recognised institution in their country.

Award
Amount

Website

Awards range
in value from
350 15,000.

http://www.rgs.org/

Grants of up
to US$1,000.

Paul Donald
paul.donald@rspb.org.uk

The Shell Marine Habitat program is a partnership

between the Shell Oil Company and the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The purpose of this
partnership is to provide grants for projects that
benefit marine habitat in and around the Gulf of
Mexico. The Shell Marine Habitat Program was
launched in 1988. To date, 96 projects have been
funded, committing nearly $4 million in funds.

http://www.nfwf.org/progra
ms/shell.htm

It was decided from the outset that, rather than

support a portfolio of small grants under the

http://www.shellfoundation.
org/biodiversity/funding.ht

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Simbiota

Society for the

Study of
Amphibians and
Reptiles
Sophie Danforth
Conservation
Biology Fund

Teresa and H.
John Heinz III

Teresa Heinz
Scholars for

Description
Biodiversity theme, the foundation would focus
efforts on a partnering agreement with the
Smithsonian Institution that would monitor and
assess the impacts of oil and gas operations on
areas of high biological diversity. As a consequence
of the partnership with the Smithsonian
Institution, which will continue until at least
September 2005, the foundation will not be
supporting any other project-based activities
under the Biodiversity theme.
Simbiotas List of Potential Funding Sources for
Neotropical Field Biologists & Conservationists. The
89 organizations in this list would consider funding
proposals from Neotropical scientists or
conservationists if those proposals matched their
application guidelines.
List of international funding opportunities for
herpetological students and professionals provided
by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and
Reptiles.
The Sophie Danforth Conservation Biology Fund
(SDCBF), established by the Roger Williams Park
Zoo and the Rhode Island Zoological Society in
1989, supports conservation programs that protect
threatened wildlife and habitats worldwide. Field
studies and other projects that demonstrate a multidisciplinary approach to biodiversity and ecosystem
conservation and projects that involve in-country
collaborators receive the highest funding priority.
Environmental education programs, development of
techniques that can be used in a natural
environment, and captive propagation programs
that stress an integrative approach to conservation
are also appropriate. Projects must directly affect
biological conservation.
The program provides enhancement support for
doctoral dissertation and master's thesis (or project)

Award
Amount

Website
ml

http://wildlife.wisc.edu/sim
biota/s-list.htm

http://www.ukans.edu/~ssa
r/int_grt.html
Max US$1000

http://www.rogerwilliamspa
rkzoo.org/conservation/dan
forth_application.htm

Doctoral:
$10,000

http://www.hfp.heinz.org/pr
ograms/environmentalscho

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution
Foundation

Award/Scholarshi
p
Environmental
Research

The Nature
Conservancy

Lindsay Parsons
and Carter Bales
Conservation
scholarships

Tinker
Foundation

Field research grant

Total Foundation

Description
research. A total of 16 one-time, one-year awards
are offered annually. Funded research must have
public policy relevance that increases society's
understanding of environmental concerns and
proposed solutions. Individuals with dissertations or
theses or projects that do not meet these criteria
will not be considered. Recipients must participate
in either a doctoral or master's program at the
following institutions: Carnegie Mellon University,
Cornell University, Harvard University, Pennsylvania
State University, Princeton University, Stanford
University, Yale University, Florida A&M University,
Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi.
The Lindsay Parsons Scholarship Fund and the
Carter Bales Conservation Scholarship Fund are two
programs that support training and professional
development for conservation practitioners from
developing countries who are playing a key role
within their organization. TNC works with the
selected participants to design a training program
around their specific needs.
The Grants provide graduate students with travel
funds (international and in-country) to Latin
America, Spain and Portugal to acquire a
comprehensive knowledge of language and culture,
to gather research data and to develop contacts
with scholars and institutions in their field. They are
awarded by the university institutes/centers for
brief periods of research in Iberia or Latin America
and should reflect primarily the major interests of
the Tinker Foundation, i.e., economic policy and
governance and those targeted social science
disciplines having strong public policy implications,
and environmental policy studies. Awards are
limited to graduate students conducting
predissertation research.

Award
Amount
Masters:
$5,000

Website
lars.html

http://nature.org/

$10,000 and
$15,000

http://fdncenter.org/grantm
aker/tinker/field.html

http://www.total.com/fonda

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

US Fish and
Wildlife Service

Neotropical
Migratory Bird
Conservation Fund

US Fish and
Wildlife Service

African and Asian

Elephant
Conservation
Funds; Great Apes
Conservation Fund;
Rhinoceros and
Tiger Conservation
Fund
Various grants

Vodaphone
Foundation

WCS

Research Fellowship
Programme

Description
Neotripical Fund: Provides funding to individuals and
group in the US, Latin America and the Caribbean,
with the exception of Cuba for projects focusing on
protection and management of neotropical
migratory bird populations; maintenance,
management, protection, and restoration of
neotropical migratory bird habitat; research and
monitoring; law enforcement; and community
outreach and education. Projects may be up to two
years in duration.

The Foundation makes social investments that help

the people of the world to have fuller lives by:
sharing the benefits of developments in mobile
communications technology as widely as possible;
protecting the natural environment; and supporting
the local communities in which Vodafone's
customers, employees, investors and suppliers live.
Most projects will be funded in partnership with
local Vodafone company foundations or community
programmes.
Established in 1993, the RFP is a small grants
program designed to support individual field
research that is based on sound and innovative
conservation science. It aims to build capacity for
the next generation of conservationists. Most of the

Award
Amount
Max amount
for FY05 is
US$250,000.
Average
award
US$88,000,
with a range
of US$2,000 US$250,000.
Requests
under
US$5,000 are
discouraged.
Grants up to
US$50,000.

Website
tion/fr/
http://birdhabitat.fws.gov/N
MBCA/eng_neo.htm

http://international.fws.gov
/grants/grants.html

http://www.vodafonefound
ation.org/1.0.html

Grants up to
US$25,000 for
one year
(average
award is

http://wcs.org/swaround_the_globe/rfp?
preview=1&psid=0&ph=6
b0b

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

Whitley Laing
Foundation

Rufford Small
Grant; Whitley
Award

Wildlife Trust

Biodiversity,
Ecology and Health
Fund

Description
grantees are professional conservationists from the
country of research and/or post-graduates pursuing
a higher degree. The RFP supports field research in
Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Traditionally the RFP
has not supported research in North America,
Australia, or Europe, or their territories. However,
the RFP has just begun to accept applications from
Native Americans (US) and First Nation Peoples
(Canada) who intend to conduct work on native
lands on issues of direct relevance to wildlife.
Rufford Small Grants (RSG's) are awards offered in
association with the Whitley Laing Foundation. They
are aimed at small conservation programmes and
pilot projects and are not designed to be a small
part of a large undertaking. RSG's are available to
individuals and small groups. Applications can be
made at any time of the year and these are
reviewed twice annually with deadlines at the end
of January and July. Projects should be about a
years duration although each application is
assessed on its own merit and the project length
can be flexible. Applications from non first world
areas are strongly encouraged; grants are not
normally offered in response to applications for
funding for attending conferences and seminars,
nor for academic research projects or purely data
gathering expeditions. It is hoped that many
recipients of Rufford Small Grants will progress in
their field and go on to apply for a main Whitley
Award. On successful completion of a RSG, having
provided satisfactory feedback and a final report,
applicants are welcome to apply for a second RSG
and then a Rufford Booster Grant.
Wildlife Trusts Biodiversity, Ecology and Health
Fund (BEHF) supports projects that with a modest
level of funding can make an impact on protecting
nature or safeguarding ecological health. Typical

Award
Amount
$7,000).

Website

Rufford:
Grants up to
5,000.
Whitley:
30,000, plus
a second year
of 30,000 for
the gold
winner.

http://www.whitleyaward.org/Articles/projects/
rufford/rufford_index.html

Up to
US$10,000 for
one- to twoyear projects.

http://www.wildlifetrust.org
/ssf.htm

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

Award/Scholarshi
p

World Wide Fund

for Nature China

China Conservation
Small Grants Fund

WWF Education
for Nature
Program

Nsanjama-Palmer
Rising Star
Scholarships

WWF Education
for Nature
Program

Russell Train
Scholarship
Program

Description
projects have budgets of less than $10,000 U.S. and
can be completed in one to two years. BEHF
projects normally focus on research aimed at
improving wildlife conservation science,
conservation medicine, natural resources
management, or public environmental policies by
local scientists working full-time in the country in
which the project takes place. Wildlife Trusts BEHF
Program does not fund: 1.) administrative overhead
or unrestricted operating support; 2.) salaries (daily
field expenses are funded); 3.) tuition; and 4.)
attendance to conferences.
Projects should focus on plants and animals that are
either on the IUCN Red List for China, or have been
officially designated 1st or 2nd Category Protected
Species by the Chinese government. Projects
focusing on protection of biologically important
habitat areas will also be considered. Proposals to
work on well-publicized species will not be
considered.
With the purpose of increasing the number of
trained conservationists in Francophone Africa,
Nsanjama-Palmer Rising Star Scholarships are
awarded to four or five commendable students each
year at the Ecole pour la Formation des Specialistes
de la Faune (EFG) school in Cameroon. These
students are at the beginning of their career in
conservation and show a long-term commitment to
the field.
The Russell Train Scholarship Program has been
awarding scholarships and fellowships since 1994 to
practitioners dedicated to conservation in their
home countries and regions. Scholars receive
financial support for a period of up to two years to
cover all education costs (tuition, books, travel,
room and board) at the undergraduate, graduate
and doctoral level at the recipients institution of

Award
Amount

Website

www.wwfchina.org

http://www.wwfefn.org/index.html

Up to
US$20,000/yr.

http://www.wwfefn.org/index.html

International Conservation Project Funders

Institution

WWF Education
for Nature
Program

Award/Scholarshi
p
Professional
Development
Grants

Description
choice anywhere in the world. Participating regions
include Africa, Asia/Pacific and Latin America.
EFN Professional Development Grants support
training-related costs for mid-career conservation
professionals to attend short-courses, workshops,
and conferences. Costs covered include registration
fees and tuition, meals and accommodations, books
and materials, international travel, and local
transportation. Training may take place anywhere in
the world.

Award
Amount
Grants range
from $1,500 to
$5,000.

Website

http://www.wwfefn.org/index.html