Fellowships and Grants Related to Applied Biodiversity Science

Texas A&M Office of Graduate Studies Assistantships, Fellowships and Grants (website)

This site provides a partial list of funding available to Texas A&M graduate students. For more specific information, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies directly.

International Student Services at Texas A&M University (website)

This website offers a listing of scholarships, fellowships, graduate assistantships, and loans available to international students at Texas A&M University.

Texas A&M Office of Proposal Development List of External Funding Sources (website)

This is a very general list that provides links to funding sources for research grants and for graduate student fellowships. Searchable by discipline.

University of California, Los Angeles’ Scholarship Search Databases (website)

A comprehensive list of free, searchable databases of scholarships and fellowships for both graduate and undergraduate students.

North Carolina State’s Graduate Fellowship Listings (website)

A listing of a number of nationally competitive fellowships organized by deadline month. This is a great source for planning out your application schedule! The links provide a basic summary of each Fellowship.

International Education Financial Aid (IEFA) (website)

This searchable database is primarily focused on funding sources for study abroad, but it lists a number of scholarships, fellowships and loan programs that are available to non-US citizens for study in the United States.

CGIAR Gender and Diversity Program’s Funding News (website)

This quarterly newsletter is a great source of information on graduate scholarships, fellowships and postdoctoral opportunities for non-US citizens. Previous newsletters can be downloaded from the link above.

SIMBIOTA (website)

A site housed at the University of Wisconsin, Madison that serves as a referral and information resource for neotropical field biologists and conservationists seeking funding for their work in the Neotropics. Listings written in both English and Spanish.;

International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) (website)

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 Programme supports mainly short-term activities, such as participation in international conferences, training courses and study tours, but also helps people to prepare manuals and monographs and provides small grants for post-graduate study. The maximum amount for a fellowship grant is US$10,000. Only nationals of ITTO member countries are eligible to apply, and fellowships are awarded mainly to nationals of developing member countries.

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Fellowships and Grants (website)

Amount: Varies by type

One of the world's largest sources of funding exclusively for graduate women, the AAUW Educational Foundation supports aspiring scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and those pursuing professions where women are underrepresented.

American Museum of Natural History – Field Work Grants (website)

Amount: Varies by type

The American Museum of Natural History offers a number of small grants to advanced graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who are commencing their careers in the fields of zoology, paleontology, anthropology, astrophysics and earth and planetary sciences. These include The Frank M. Chapman Memorial Grants to support and foster research in ornithology, both neontological and paleontological and the Lerner-Gray Grants for Marine Research to support projects dealing with systematics, evolution, ecology and field-oriented behavioral studies of marine animals.

American Sociological Association (ASA), Community Action Research Initiative (website)

Amount: $1,000 - $3,000

Up to 6 Fellowships are awarded annually to sociologists undertaking community action projects that bring social science knowledge, methods, and expertise to bear in addressing community-identified issues and concerns. Appointments will run for the duration of the project, whether the activity is to be undertaken during the year, in the summer, or for other time-spans.

Annie’s Organics Environmental Studies Scholarships (website)

Amount: $1,000

At Annie's we know we have a responsibility to be a good corporate citizen. In striving to be an ethically, socially and environmentally conscious business, Annie's will award at least $25,000 to environmental stewards this year. Because of our passion for a cleaner, healthier planet, we have established a scholarship program that assists undergraduate or graduate students who share our advocacy for the Earth and are focusing on classes in the environmental studies field. Through our Environmental Studies scholarship program, we will award 25 lucky (and deserving) students with $1000 each. This money can be used for tuition, books, and other educational expenses. If your application is approved, you will be notified by U.S. mail. Please note: Due to the large number of applications we receive, we appreciate your patience. We will contact you as soon as we make our decisions. Annie's Homegrown Environmental Studies Scholarship Program is open to full time students beginning or returning to an accredited 2 or 4 year technical or college program in the U.S. Students must be focusing on classes in the environmental studies field and have at least one more year before completing their degree. Graduate students with more than one year remaining.

Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation, Lindbergh Grants (website)

Amount: $10,580

Up to 10 grants are awarded annually to men and women whose individual initiative and work in a wide spectrum of disciplines further the Lindberghs' vision of a balance between the advance of technology and the preservation of their natural/human environment. Nonrenewable. Must be working on doctoral dissertation.

Council of American Overseas Research Center Fellowships for Advanced Multi-Country Research (website)

Amount: > $9,000

Ten awards will be given to scholars who wish to carry out research on broad questions of multi-country significance. Tenure must be of at least 3 months duration.

Environmental Protection Agency- STAR Graduate Fellowships (website)

Amount: $37,000

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 environmentally related fields of study for FY2008. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years with funding available, under certain circumstances, over a period of four years. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000 per year of support.

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship Program (website)

Amount: $37,000

This program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students to conduct research in other countries in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of 6 to 12 months. Proposals focusing on Western Europe are not eligible. As part of its FY 2008 budget request, the Administration proposed to continue to allow funds to be used to support the participation of individuals who plan to apply their language skills and knowledge of countries vital to the United States national security in fields outside teaching, including government, the professions, or international development. However, authority to use funds for participants outside of the field of teaching depends on final Congressional action.

Hudson Institute, Herman Kahn Fellowships (website)

Amount: $24,000

To aid students who have demonstrated interest in and capability for policy oriented research and the use of interdisciplinary analysis. Applicants have five areas in which to apply: 1) Education, 2) Domestic Political Economy, 3) International Political Economy, 4) National Security Studies, and 5) Political Theory and Institutions.

Inter-American Foundation PhD Grassroots Development Fellowships (website)

Amount: Round-trip international transportation to the research site, research allowance of $3,000, monthly stipend of $1,500 for up to 12 months, and health insurance

Proposals should offer a practical orientation to field-based information on the following topics:

• Organizations promoting grassroots development among the poor;
• the financial sustainability and independence of such organizations;
• trends affecting historically excluded groups,i.e., African descendants, indigenous peoples, women, and others;
• transnational development;
• the role of corporate social responsibility in grassroots development;
• the impact of globalization on grassroots development;
• the impact of grassroots development activities on the quality of life of the poor.

NSF IGERT Traineeship in Applied Biodiversity Science (website)

Amount: $30,000

Applied Biodiversity Science NSF-IGERT Trainees are expected to conduct field research in Latin America or the US-Mexico border region. They are highly encouraged to develop complementary research projects with students and faculty from outside their discipline and to collaborate with conservation organizations in the field. The duration of the NSF-IGERT Traineeship is two years. During that time, Trainees are provided with:

• An annual stipend of $30,000;
• Full payment of Texas A&M University tuition;
• Coverage for health care insurance and other fees;
• Access to specialized research equipment and supplies;
• Support for internships with external organizations;
• Funding for preliminary research at the dissertation field site.

NSF SBE Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (website)

Amount: Varies according to discipline

The National Science Foundation's Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS) and Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES) award grants to doctoral students to improve the quality of dissertation research. These grants provide funds for items not normally available through the student's university. Additionally, these grants allow doctoral students to undertake significant data-gathering projects and to conduct field research in settings away from their campus that would not otherwise be possible. Proposals are judged on the basis of their scientific merit, including the theoretical importance of the research question and the appropriateness of the proposed data and methodology to be used in addressing the question.

Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA) Becas Auto-Colocada (Self-Placed Graduate Scholarships) (website)

Amount: $30,000

Self-Placed: Candidates apply directly for admission to the universities or educational institutions of their choice and apply separately to the OAS for scholarships to assist in financing those studies. Consideration for a scholarship is contingent on receipt of proof of admission to the university by the deadline established by the OAS General Secretariat. The number of self-placed scholarships the OAS will award is more limited than OAS-placed scholarships.

Packard Fellowship (website)

Amount: $875,000 distributed over five years

The Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering allow the nation's most promising young professors to pursue their science and engineering research with few funding restrictions and limited paperwork requirements.

Rainforest Alliance - Kleinhans Fellowship (website)

Amount: $15,000/2 yrs

The Kleinhans Fellowship supports research to better understand and improve the impacts of non-timber forest product (NTFP) harvest and marketing on rural livelihoods and tropical forest ecosystems. A successful application will outline the need for research, its potential applications and its likely impact on local communities and forest ecosystems.

Resources for the Future, Joseph L. Fisher Dissertation Fellowships (website)

Amount: $12,000/one yr

In honor of the late Joseph L. Fisher, president of Resources for the Future (RFF) from 1959-1974, RFF will award fellowships for the coming academic year in support of doctoral dissertation research on issues related to the environment, natural resources, or energy. RFF’s primary research disciplines are economics and other social sciences. Proposals originating in these fields will have the greatest likelihood of success. Proposals from the physical or biological sciences must have an immediate and obvious link to environmental policy matters.

Rural Sociological Society Scholarships (website)

Amount: Ph.D. $7,500; Master’s $3,500

Graduate student members of the Rural Sociological Society are eligible to apply for master’s thesis and Ph.D. dissertation research awards. Dissertation awards can be made for up to $7,500. Master’s thesis awards can be made for up the $3,500. Proposals approved for funding may receive budget allocations below the required amounts, based on availability of funds and recommendations of the Endowment Committee.

Social Science Research Council - International Dissertation Research Fellowship (website)

Amount: $20,000

The International Dissertation Field Research Fellowship (IDRF) program provides support for social scientists and humanists conducting dissertation field research in all areas and regions of the world. The IDRF awards enable doctoral candidates of proven achievement and outstanding potential to use their knowledge of distinctive cultures, societies, languages, economies, polities, and histories, in combination with their disciplinary training, to address issues that transcend their disciplines or area specializations. The program supports scholarship that treats place and setting in relation to broader phenomena as well as in particular historical and cultural contexts.

Society of Women Geographers Pruitt National Fellowship for Dissertation Research (website)

Amount: $15,000

The Society of Woman Geographers (SWG) Evelyn L. Pruitt National Fellowship for Dissertation Research is made possible by a generous bequest from Ms. Pruitt. Ms. Pruitt was an applied geographer with the United States Navy. Her work greatly advanced the study of coastal environments and the use of remote sensing in geography from the 1940’s into the 1970’s. The SWG invites applications for this fellowship from women students in Ph.D. programs in geography or in geographical aspects of allied fields. The competition is open to candidates in all geographical specialties. Proposals must demonstrate high standards of scholarship. A review committee will select candidates to receive the Pruitt Dissertation Research Fellowship based on the overall quality of the application. Evidence of the potential significance of the research, promise of future impact on the candidate’s area of geographical specialization, and of professional involvement will be considered. Need is also considered in the final round of the selection process.

Soroptimist International Founder Region Fellowship (website)

Amount: > $20,000

The mission of the Founder Region Fellowship is to advance the status of women. This will be accomplished through financial support, to women in the last year of their doctoral degree. A by-product of this support is affirmation of the importance of the recipients work and value as an individual. Our hope is to support women who are working in fields that have great social importance to the world. We hope that the recipient's work will reflect and further Soroptimist ideals.

The Third World Academy of Science's Fellowships and Grants (website)

Amount: Varies

The Third World Academy of Science's International Programme for Higher Education and Research (IPHER) provides some 250 fellowships tenable in developing countries such as Brazil, China and India for scientists from developing countries. Fellowships, which run for various lengths of time, are available for postgraduate, postdoctoral and advanced research.

William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fellowship for Minority Students (website)

Amount: $2,500 & $5,000

The Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program (NSPP) of the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC, offers the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fellowship three times annually. The fellowship, which is based on academic excellence and need, is open to both undergraduate and graduate students of color. The Hearst Fellow serves as an intern with NSPP. Through this fellowship, NSPP seeks to introduce a diverse group of students to issues relating to philanthropy, volunteerism, and nonprofit organizations. Recipients may arrange with their colleges or universities to receive academic credit for this experience.

Forestry Funding News (website)

A very good site that list funding sources for forest conservation and management projects. Previous editions of the newsletter can be downloaded from this site.

SIMBIOTA Database (website)

A site housed at the University of Wisconsin, Madison that serves as a referral and information resource for neotropical field biologists and conservationists seeking funding for their work in the Neotropics. Listings written in both English and Spanish.

The A.J. Muste Memorial Institute's NOVA Travel Fund (website)

Amount: > $2,000

The A.J. Muste Memorial Institute funds projects which promote the use of nonviolence to achieve social justice. Our grantmaking revolves around the issues to which A.J. Muste dedicated his life: peace and disarmament; social and economic justice; racial and sexual equality; and labor rights. From their general grant program, the Muste Institute makes about 25 to 35 grants annually of up to $2,000 for grassroots activist projects in the US and around the world, giving priority to those with small budgets and little access to more mainstream funding sources.

Allachy Awards for Conservation of Medicinal Plants (website)

Amount: $10,000

The purpose of the awards has been to build capacity for the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants. Selected projects have taken community-based approaches to medicinal plant conservation. Special attention will be given in the future to applications that contribute systematically to building new regional programs on community-based conservation in the Himalayas and East Africa, but the program is open to all applicants from the developing world. Applicants should be organizations that can demonstrate a long-term commitment to plant conservation. The maximum size of grant is normally £10,000. Applicants should be from developing countries. Applications are welcome from all regions, but synergy between applications will be considered in deciding which projects to support, as well as the potential to use the awards to build more substantial proposals. Projects designed to increase the sustainability of commercial harvesting are welcome. Awards can be for periods of up to 3 years.

British Petroleum's Conservation Leadership Programme (website)

Amount: $12,500

The Conservation Leadership Programme is offering Future Conservationist Awards of up to $12,500 to high potential teams who aim to develop their skills through practical conservation projects. These awards are highly competitive and winners are selected from amongst the highest quality applications. There will be $250,000 worth of funding available for the Future Conservationist Award winning projects in 2008. Successful applicants will: 1) Develop the knowledge, skills and abilities of team members; 2) Implement a focused, high-priority conservation project combining research and action; 3) Contribute to the long-term success of local conservation efforts; and 4) Contribute to the education and awareness of local stakeholders. Projects must take place in one of the following countries: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey or Venezuela. They must be led by a national of the country where the project takes place; co-leadership with non-national team members is acceptable.

Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (website)

Amount: $20,000

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a global program with funds from a number for sources but administered by Conservation International. The program provides grants to nongovernmental organizations and other private sector partners to protect critical ecosystems and influence decisions that affect lives, livelihoods, and, ultimately, the global environment. There is no specific limit to the level of funding an applicant can request and project funding may be provided for a maximum duration of five years. The program funds conservation groups in the following areas: Caucasus, Eastern Arc & Coastal Forests, Eastern Himalayas, Northern Mesoamerica, and Succulent Karoo. Applications are available in English, Spanish and Russian.

DOEN Foundation Grants for Sustainable Development Enterprises (website)

Amount: Not specified

DOEN Foundation works towards the achievement of a livable world in which everyone has a place. Acting within its four fields of operation of Sustainable Development, Culture, Welfare and Social Cohesion, it provides subsidies where necessary, and arranges loans and equity investments where possible. DOEN's primary focus in the area of Sustainable Development consists of social-cultural aspects ('people'), economic aspects ('profit') and ecological aspects ('planet'). Microfinance is still the most important instrument in this program. Nevertheless, in 2006, DOEN shifted its microfinance focus towards the development of the financial sector in the wider sense. It began to invest in organizations that help SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) get off the ground in developing countries, so as to be able to serve those businesses that have outgrown the microfinance stage. This has resulted in support being given to organizations that work directly with these enterprises.

Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation (website)

Amount: > $6,000

Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation (RSGs) provides grants of up to £5,000 aimed at small conservation programs and pilot projects. Individuals or small groups in the developing world are eligible. The impact of the project must be pragmatic, measurable and long lasting. The grant must make up the majority of the total budget and funds must be used predominantly in the field. The project should generally be approximately 12-18 months duration. The Rufford Foundation also offers Innovations Awards that are given to new, substantial projects that could have ground-breaking effects in nature conservation in the developing world. Projects receive a one-off grant of up to £50,000.

St Andrews Prize for the Environment (website)

Amount: $75,000 USD for the winner and $25,000 USD for each of the two runners-up

Aimed at helping ordinary people find solutions to environmental problems, The St Andrews Prize for the Environment is an initiative by the University of St Andrews in Scotland and the international integrated energy company ConocoPhillips. The prize recognizes significant contributions to environmental conservation. Since its launch in 1998, the prize has attracted entries from more than 50 countries each year on diverse topics including: sustainable development in the Amazon rainforest, urban regeneration, recycling, health and water issues, and renewable energy. Applications are invited from individuals, multi-disciplinary teams or community groups.

The United Nations Development Program's Equator Ventures (website)

Amount: Not specified

Equator Ventures' clients are drawn from conservation enterprises that deliver demonstrable conservation and socio-economic benefits in priority areas. These enterprises may be found in traditional sectors such as agroforestry, ecotourism, ecosystem services or non-timber forest products. However, Equator Ventures' client pool will also welcome enterprises from other areas of endeavor, provided they can demonstrate positive impacts on biodiversity and communities. Equator Venture's mission is to provide a "blended" offer of debt finance and enterprise development support to viable small and medium sized biodiversity businesses. Equator Ventures will invest in ventures at all stages of development. Loans between US$30,000 and US$500,000 will be provided for the sustainable growth needs of projects. Complementary grants will support a comprehensive business development and capacity building program, tailor-made to meet the needs of successful entrepreneurs from the developing world.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service - Wildlife without Borders Grants

• Website in English
• Sitio en Español para el programa de México
• Sitio en Español para el program de América Latina y el Caribe

Amount: Varies with type of grant

These grants support training and capacity building in relation to international biodiversity conservation. As part of their Regional Program, grants are given to projects in Africa, China, India, Latin America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Russia. Their Species Program funds projects related to the conservation of particular endangered species, including marine turtles, great apes, rhinoceroses, African elephants, Asian elephants, and tigers.

Verde Ventures from Conservation International Funds Green Business Initiatives (website)

Amount: $30,000-$500,000

Verde Ventures is a $7-million investment fund managed by Conservation International that strengthens small and medium-sized enterprises with strategic importance to biodiversity conservation. The fund provides debt and equity financing of $30,000-$500,000 to select businesses in CI's priority areas. Through a new collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, the fund also provides limited grant funding for enterprise development and monitoring for eligible businesses. Application instructions are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.