Funding Resources

Ecoexist (website)

Amount: $64,000

Background: This year the Ecoexist project has funding for four PhD Fellows to conduct research on multidisciplinary facets of human-elephant conflicts: 1) Cultural, economic, and political factors influencing resource use; 2) Natural resource availability and use impacts; and, 3) Household agroeconomics and food security. A fourth Ecoexist Fellow will focus on Elephant Ecology and Resource Use, enrolled at the University of Oxford in England.

Position: Selected students will begin studies in August 2014. Funding is available for each Ecoexist Fellow, totaling $64,000, to cover tuition, fees, insurance, stipends, international travel, and research. Students will apply to Texas A&M University and spend at least one year in Botswana.

Responsibilities: Successful applicants will work with Ecoexist project directors to develop a research protocol, apply for grant funding, conduct field research, analyze data, and prepare publications and presentations.

Qualifications: Minimum Master’s degree in relevant field; background in social or ecological field research related to conservation, wildlife management, and/or sustainable development, with a demonstrated interest in human-elephant conflicts. Applicants should be highly motivated and organized, with strong writing and communications skills.

Ecoexist Fellows will be expected to conduct field research in Botswana and work collaboratively with project directors and other students, interns, and field staff. All research must be designed and carried out in a participatory manner, engaging actively with local communities, government officials, and other stakeholders in Botswana and the region.

To apply: Interested applicants should submit the following materials:

• Letter of interest (two pages maximum), describing interests, experience, and career plans in the relevant topics associated with human-elephant conflicts;
• Three letters of reference;
• Unofficial transcripts, and GRE and TOEFL scores (or plans for taking the tests);
• Current CV

Deadline: Letters of interest and supporting materials are due to Project Directors: Dr. Anna Songhurst (anna.songhurst@hotmail.com), Dr. Graham McCulloch (gpmcculloch1@gmail.com) and Dr. Amanda Stronza (astronza@tamu.edu) by January 30, 2014. 

In addition, applicants will need to apply to the Texas A&M Graduate Office (http://ogs.tamu.edu/prospective-students/admissions/applying-to-graduate-schoo/) by March 1, 2014.

Please email Amanda Stronza with questions at astronza@tamu.edu.

Environmental Protection Agency- STAR Graduate Fellowships (website)

Amount: $42,000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, offers Graduate Fellowships for master’s and doctoral level students in environmentally related fields of study. 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 $42,000 per year of support.  The actual amount awarded per year will vary depending on the amount of tuition and fees and the number of months the stipend is required. These fellowships are intended to help defray costs associated with advanced, environmentally-oriented study leading to a master’s or doctoral degree.

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. Projects deepen research knowledge on and help the nation develop capability in areas of the world not generally included in U.S. curricula. Projects focusing on Western Europe are not supported.

Inter-American Foundation PhD Grassroots Development Fellowships (website)

Amount: Research allowance of up to $3,000, a $1,500 monthly stipend for a period from between four to 12 months, international round trip transportation to the research site; health insurance and attendance at a mandatory mid-year conference

IAF’s Fellowships are intended to increase awareness of grassroots development efforts while building a community of professionals and scholars knowledgeable in the subject. Fellows examine the efforts of the rural and urban poor to improve their lives, their methods of organization and production, and the policies and programs designed to alleviate their poverty. The IAF disseminates research findings of its Fellows to a broad audience concerned with development.

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.

Organization of American States (OAS): Self-Placed Graduate Scholarships (website)

Amount: $30,000

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, averaging one (1) self-placed scholarship per country.

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: $16,000/yr, for 2 years

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.  Please note that the Fellowship will not subsidize academic tuition and fees, nor will it cover costs of purchasing transport vehicles, or unnecessary or unreasonable equipment.

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

Amount: $18,000/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 supports the next generation of scholars in the humanities and humanistic social sciences pursuing research that advances knowledge about non-US cultures and societies. IDRF offers nine to twelve months of support to graduate students enrolled in PhD programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research on non-US topics. Eighty fellowships are awarded annually.  Fellowship amounts vary depending on the research plan, with a per-fellowship average of $20,000.

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

Founder Region is one of 28 regions of Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA), with territory encompassing ten north coast counties in California, the State of Hawai’i, and the U.S. territories of Guam & the Marianas.  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: $2,000 & $4,000

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.  Note: This is not a scholarship. The student must be able to work as an intern for 12-15 weeks in the Washington, DC, office of the Aspen Institute during the academic semester in which the fellowship is awarded.  Fall and Spring interns will work part-time (15-20 hours per week) and Summer interns will be full-time.  All travel and housing costs must be covered by the student.

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Grants in Conjunction with ABS Partner Organizations in Latin America

The grants and other funding opportunities listed below are for applied conservation projects. Most will require that the ABS Associated Faculty or Student apply in conjunction with a partner conservation organization or community in Latin America.

General Listings:

Collaborative Partnership on Forests (website)

The online CPF Sourcebook on Funding for Sustainable Forest Management has been developed to help users efficiently locate global funding sources for sustainable forest management projects.

SIMBIOTA Database (website)

SIMBIOTA is a volunteer organization run by a group of graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. SIMBIOTA’s goal is to assist Latin American and Caribbean field biologists and conservationists (professional, amateur or student) in gaining funds for their own projects in the Neotropics.

Specific Grants:

Conservation Leadership Programme: Future Conservationist Award (website)

Amount: $15,000

The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) is a partnership of four conservation organisations and British Petroleum plc working to promote the development of future biodiversity conservation leaders by providing a range of awards, training and mentoring support via an active international network of practitioners.

The Future Conservationist Awards is open to high potential teams who aim to develop their skills through practical conservation projects. Successful applicants will: 1.) develop the knowledge, skills and experience 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.

Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (website)

Amount: $20,000

Founded in 2000, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a global leader in enabling civil society to participate in and benefit from conserving some of the world’s most critical ecosystems.

We provide grants for nongovernmental and private sector organizations to help protect biodiversity hotspots, Earth’s most biologically rich yet threatened areas.

Our grants:

• Target biodiversity hotspots in developing and transitional countries.
• Are guided by regional investment strategies developed with stakeholders.
• Go directly to civil society groups to build this vital constituency for conservation alongside governmental partners.
• Create working alliances among diverse groups, combining unique capacities and eliminating duplication of efforts.
• Achieve results through an ever-expanding network of partners working together toward shared goals.

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.

DOEN Foundation Grants for Sustainable Development Enterprises (website)

Amount: Not specified

The DOEN Foundation’s ambition is to help build a sustainable world in which everyone can participate. DOEN promotes sustainable, cultural and social pioneers.  DOEN works in three principal themes: Climate Change, Culture & Cohesion, and New Economies. For each of these themes, the website describes DOEN’s area of interest as well as the criteria and exclusions.  The average contribution generally depends on the total amount of the project. DOEN also looks at the impact of the DOEN-contribution to the project. Usually DOEN has a guideline to finance a maximum of 1/3 of the project’s budget.

Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation (website)

Amount: £6,000

The Rufford Small Grants Foundation provides funding for small nature/biodiversity conservation projects and pilot programmes in developing countries.  Applications are accepted from individuals or small groups as well as from organisations.  The project should normally be of 12 to 18 months duration although each appliation is assessed on its own merit and the project length can be flexible. 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.

St Andrews Prize for the Environment (website)

Amount: $100,000 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 Initiative: Equator Prize (website)

Amount: $5,000

Every two years, the Equator Prize recognizes 25 outstanding local initiatives that work to advance sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities. Recipients of the Equator Prize each receive $5,000 (USD), with some selected for special recognition and additional prize money. In order to be eligible for the Equator Prize, nominees must (1) have been in operation for at least 3 years, (2) be a community-based or local group, operating in a rural area, and (3) be located within a country receiving support from the United Nations.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service – Wildlife without Borders Grants (website)

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 loans are designed to assist small- and medium-sized businesses that contribute to healthy ecosystems and human well-being. Our loan recipients range from farming cooperatives and agricultural estates to ecotourism enterprises. Together, these business partners employ more than 53,000 local people and are helping safeguard ecological health, biodiversity and vitality in some of Earth’s most important places for both people and nature.

We offer a variety of debt instruments, including loans for infrastructure investments and improvements, revolving lines of credit to finance the purchase of raw materials and havest working capital, flexible terms from six months to five years,  and enterprise development services to eligible applicants.

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