The Society for Conservation Biology Marine Section is pleased to announce the 2017-2018 cycle of our Conservation Research Small Grants Program! The program will provide funding ($500 – 700 USD) to marine conservation research projects in areas of acute need, especially for research in the developing world or for organizations with limited access to conservation funding.
he NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) provides matching grants for international coral reef conservation projects. CRCP solicits proposals that will support the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program’s International Strategy 2010-2015 (International Strategy). The International Strategy focuses on supporting existing regional efforts in four priority regions based on their interconnections with U.S. reef ecosystems and existing initiatives and partnerships.
The NOAA Marine Debris Program, authorized in the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act, codified at 33 U.S.C. 1951-1958, supports the development and implementation of locally-driven, marine debris prevention, assessment, and removal projects that benefit coastal habitat, waterways, and NOAA trust resources.
The Cooperative Research Program (CRP) provides opportunity to compete for financial assistance for projects seeking to improve and strengthen the relationship between fisheries researchers from NMFS, state fishery agencies, and universities and the U.S. fishing industry (recreational and commercial) in the Gulf of Mexico (FL, AL, MS, LA, TX), South Atlantic (FL, NC, SC, GA) and Caribbean (USVI and Puerto Rico).
The Saltonstall-Kennedy Act established a fund (known as the S-K fund) used by the Secretary of Commerce to provide grants or cooperative agreements for fisheries research and development projects addressing aspects of U.S. fisheries, including, but not limited to, harvesting, processing, marketing, and associated business infrastructures. Under this authority, grants and cooperative agreements are made on a competitive basis (subject to availability of funding) to assist in carrying out projects related to U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries.
NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration & Research (OER) seeks to enhance ocean exploration and scientific knowledge of the unknown or poorly known areas of the ocean. This entails identifying, describing and creating baseline characterizations of new ocean habitats, marine resources and/or processes. In this Announcement, OER is seeking proposals focused on three topics including:
Applications are invited for innovative research projects aimed at controlling Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) populations.
Grants under Round 4 will be awarded to conduct field work on the Great Barrier Reef in 2018. They are funded by The Ian Potter Foundation 50th Anniversary Commemorative Grants scheme through the Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation.
"National Aquarium Limited, a sister charity to the National Marine Aquarium, makes small grants available for interesting projects that will make a difference. These projects may be science-based but could equally be based around arts or drama – indeed, the more innovative the better, as long as they make a contribution to raising awareness of the marine environment. Grants awarded so far have been in the region of £1,200-£5,000 and it is likely that future awards will be of similar amounts."
The Rapid Ocean Conservation (ROC) Grants Program is a project of the Waitt Foundation. ROC Grants provide small grants with a quick turnaround time for solutions to emerging conservation issues. This complements the Waitt Foundation’s existing major grants program and is responsive to conservation opportunities, supports higher-risk ideas at a low financial cost, and engages with small, local NGOs on a global scale.
IDEA WILD seeks to minimize the loss of biodiversity by empowering people on the front lines of conservation by awarding small equipment grants to conservation professionals around the world. These equipment grants advance biological research, conservation education, community outreach, conservation management, field training, and professional development in areas where it is needed most. By empowering both aspiring and veteran conservation professionals, IDEA WILD has been instrumental in establishing new protected areas, reversing the decline of species through innovative management plans, restoring damaged and critical habitat, and improving how local communities support and sustain their immediate natural resources. Each year, IDEA WILD distributes over $300,000 worth of equipment – including digital cameras, spotting scopes, mist nets, tents, binoculars, and GPS units – to over 400 conservation projects worldwide.
IDEA WILD focuses its support on professionals working in developing countries where other sources of support are limited or nonexistent, and where a $750 equipment grant is often equivalent to several months’ salary. IDEA WILD accepts proposals from ALL countries.