All USA USA Territories: American Samoa (USA); Guam (USA); Puerto Rico (USA); Virgin Islands (USA); Northern Mariana Islands (USA); USA Compact Free Associations:The Federated States of Micronesia (USA) Marshall Islands (USA) Republic of Palau (USA) Canada:Alberta; British Columbia; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Northwest Territories; Nova Scotia; Nunavut; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Saskatchewan; Yukon; International
Grants to USA, Canada, and International researchers for studies related to environmental conservation. Funding is intended for research projects that will take action to conserve ecosystems and implement solutions to protect the life they contain from extinction. Pre-proposals are invited from scientists for research that will take measurable action to address global change and loss of biodiversity.
Projects should
Increase scientific knowledge and public awareness of environmental challenges to ecosystems, while providing locally relevant solutions;
Increase partnerships with local people, communities, governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and corporations at local and international levels; and
Inform management plans and environmental policies.
All pre-proposals must be hypothesis-driven, have quantifiable goals, measurable direct impacts, and an overarching research theme directly related to taking action to address extinction and loss of biodiversity. Because meeting these challenges requires a whole-ecosystem approach, there is a specific interest in contributions that incorporate keystone species to address biodiversity loss. For research that takes place in or near land managed by Indigenous communities, pre-proposals must incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), defined as a cumulative body of knowledge and beliefs, handed down through generations about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment.
Pre-proposals that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Global Biodiversity Framework that will improve human livelihoods and support scientists in emerging nations are strongly encouraged. Projects should take place in South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America.
All proposed projects must:
Have quantifiable goals and measurable impacts of action taken on the project;
Incorporate field-based research and data collection, with participants sufficiently trained while in the field;
Have data gathered primarily by citizen-scientist participants recruited by Earthwatch;
Field a minimum of four research teams per year (the average project fields 6–8 teams per year), with 4–15 participants per team as needed for data collection;
Field research teams are typically 7–9 days in length, with some projects hosting 10–14 day teams;
Provide reputable housing for participants within a 45-minute drive from the site;
Field adult, high school, and college student, teacher, and/or corporate groups;
Be run in English, with all communications by field staff and supporting documents in English;
Educate participants about the project’s science and its relevance to global priorities;
Prioritize locally run vendors, partners, and businesses in preparing the field logistics (including food), with a focus on those that adhere to sustainable business practices;
Collaborate with local community stakeholders through engagement, outreach, and contributions to conservation actions;
Share project data with stakeholders, and contribute to open-source datasets as possible;
Partner with collaborators and receive support from at least one other source of funding.
All pre-proposals must be submitted by the PI, who is also expected to hold full scientific oversight over the field research. The lead PI, or at least one member of the research team, must have a Ph.D. in the area of the proposed research and an affiliation with a university, government or tribal agency, or science-focused NGO.
Earthwatch encourages members of groups historically underrepresented in STEM, scientists local to the nation where the research takes place, and early career scientists, to apply.
Ineligible
Not eligible:
- Scientist salaries
- Student tuition
- Institutional overhead
- Capital equipment
- Post-fielding data analysis
Research projects in certain regions of the world due to safety concerns are not supported.
Pre-Application Information
Pre-proposals for new research projects to begin in 2025 will be accepted through Friday, June 9, 2023.
All pre-proposals and supporting documents must be in English. Earthwatch will select pre-proposals for development into full research proposals. If you are invited to submit a full research proposal, you will be asked for further details on research methods and impacts, detailed project logistics, staffing, project budget, and safety and risk management.
Estimated Size of Grant
Annual budgets for projects with long-duration teams range between US $20,000 and $80,000, with most of that covering volunteer and staff expenses while in the field.
Term of Contract
Research projects are tenable for three years, subject to annual performance review, and may be eligible for renewal beyond that period. Earthwatch currently supports projects for an average of 10 years.
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