OARS funding Environmental Sustainability

Today, a new generation of National Geographic explorers are redefining exploration. Become a part of this exciting generation by applying for one of the grants below. As National Geographic Society funds are intended to function as complementary support, applicants are strongly encouraged to seek additional funding from other funding agencies. Research grants tend to act as seed money and are given for one year's research.

The Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society (TCSS) is a non-profit organization whose mission is educating, teaching and learning about cacti and other succulent plants of the Sonoran Desert for the benefit of its members.  To support its mission of increasing and disseminating knowledge of cacti and succulents, TCSS has established a research grant program to help fund research, as an adjunct to the ongoing Education Outreach Program.

Established in 1972 to celebrate the work of Dennis Stanfield in Africa. The award is recognised as a mark of real distinction and takes the form of a sum of up to £2,000 to assist persons of scientific merit to undertake botanical research on tropical African plants.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, seeks applications for research on how pollution affects human health in the context of the total environment - built, natural, and social environments interacting together with inherent characteristics and interactions. Proposed research should develop and test innovative models or impact assessment approaches to examine causal relationships of chemical pollutants and health effects with modifying interactions among the variables representing all of the major stressors and factors involved in a person's life. Proposals that integrate a diverse field of disciplines (social science, economics, epidemiology, engineering, environmental science, biology, statistics, toxicology, chemistry, etc.) to address the complexity of the total environment research problem are highly recommended.

The American Wildlife Conservation Foundation (AWCF) provides grants supporting research and public education towards enhancing scientific wildlife management and conservation of wild habitats in North America, with an emphasis on New York State. Our goal is to ensure that wild animals and the ecosystems sustaining them will thrive for the long term, conserved for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

The Prince Bernhard Nature Fund was established in 1994 by the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. The Fund's mission is to support small, preferably local initiatives towards the conservation and wise use of nature and our natural resource base.  The Prince Bernhard Nature Fund aims to help save critically endangered flora and fauna in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

Student research award The J. Larry Landers Student Research Award is a Gopher Tortoise Council competitive grant program for undergraduate and graduate college students. Proposals can address research concerning gopher tortoise biology or any other relevant aspect of upland habitat conservation and management.

The foundation supports scientific research in all areas of environmental protection, as well as communication on scientific environmental information. The research results of the funded projects should be applicable into societal decision making in Finland, or support national environmental goals in some other way.  Foundation emphasizes environmental research that is solution-oriented and promotes collaboration between actors. As the environmental problems we face today are  interlinked challenges, the Foundation encourages researchers to collaborate over disciplines and sectors. 

The World Trout Initiative funds only groups and efforts working to restore and protect wild, self-sustainable trout, salmon, and other fish species within their native range. This includes both indigenous fresh and salt water fish. We believe that the best way to accomplish this over the long-term is by ensuring that populations have high quality habitat and adequate stream flows, can migrate between habitats without human intervention, are not negatively impacted by hatchery and aquaculture operations, have protection from harmful non-native species and disease, and are not over-harvested. We look for innovative groups that produce measurable results and work on long term solutions to root causes of the problem. Your efforts should be quantifiable, with specific goals, objectives, and action plans, and should include measures for evaluating success. Because we are a privately held company, we have the freedom to fund groups off the beaten path that base solutions on sound science.

With generous support from the Cleveland Zoological Society, the Asia Seed Grants Program provides funds to support field conservation and research projects in Asia. Annual awards ranging from $1000 to $3500 will be made to conservation and research initiatives involving wildlife and their habitats, and educational or cultural activities that involve or impact wildlife and their habitats. Ideal projects have clear and direct conservation impact, positively affect local people and create opportunities for capacity building in country. Projects focusing on the following areas of special interest to the Zoo are strongly encouraged to apply: -Wildlife protection (law enforcement, illegal wildlife trade issues, etc.) -Human wildlife conflict mitigation -Development and promotion of sustainable environmental practices -Habitat protection and restoration (terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems) -Capacity-building, education/training, community-based conservation and development -Conservation biology, ecology and natural history studies (terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems)

The Pacific Life Foundation accepts grant proposals from agencies seeking funds for programs and projects in the areas of health and human services; education; arts and culture; and civic, community, and environment.

The Conservation Trust is a grant program that supports innovative solutions to conservation challenges and issues of global concern. The Trust encourages projects with a strong emphasis on conservation science. In particular, it seeks to support those projects that test and critically evaluate alternative approaches to conservation. The trust will fund projects that contribute significantly to the preservation and sustainable use of the Earth's biological, cultural, and historical resources.

NSF and the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) have long supported basic research in scientific and engineering disciplines necessary to understand natural hazards and extreme events, including through the Interdisciplinary Research in Hazards and Disasters (Hazards SEES) program and multiple core programs in the GEO Directorate. PREEVENTS is designed as a logical successor to Hazards SEES and is one element of the NSF-wide Risk and Resilience activity, which has the overarching goal of improving predictability and risk assessment, and increasing resilience, in order to reduce the impact of extreme events on our life, society, and economy. PREEVENTS will provide an additional mechanism to support research and related activities that will improve our understanding of the fundamental processes underlying natural hazards and extreme events in the geosciences.

Grants will fund projects related to the Waitt Foundation mission of supporting sustainable fishing and marine protected areas (MPAs). This includes sub-themes of: Scientific Research - Includes natural science or social science projects. For example, collecting baseline data before coastal development or MPA establishment, or studying fishery effects of a natural (e.g. tsunami) or man-made (e.g. oil spill) disaster. Policy - Includes opportunistic projects around unique public policy windows, such as preparation of policy analysis and support of experts' efforts to inform decision makers on upcoming government actions. For example, a cost-benefit analysis of proposed fishing regulations, or travel expenses for a delegation of scientists to educate elected officials. Management - Includes enforcement and infrastructure support. For example, stop-gap funding to increase enforcement capacity in light of a sudden uptick in illegal dynamite fishing, or training personnel to enforce new regulations about to go into effect. Communications - Includes raising public awareness and engaging stakeholders, including advertising by a 501(c)3 group around a public policy moment. For example, a PR blitz (e.g. billboards or radio adds) to educate the public in advance of government action on an ocean conservation measure, or training local people to become citizen scientists or enforcement tipsters.

The primary focus of the Foundation's grant making in Conservation is the protection of the world's oceans and species. The Foundation is interested in site-specific projects designed to improve the health of ocean habitats and to enhance their ability to withstand the challenges of climate change. In addition, the Foundation supports efforts to fund species protection, particularly regarding the seas' apex predators. 

Shell is a leading oil and gas producer in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, a recognized pioneer in oil and gas exploration and production technology and one of America's leading oil and natural gas producers, gasoline and natural gas marketers and petrochemical manufacturers. Focus on energy awareness with special publics, increasing interest in technical careers among students and professional development in science and math among educators. We support K-12 programs that boost math and science skills, as well as university programs that aid engineering and geoscience students and departments. Shell funds projects at vocational and technical schools where chemical and refinery operators and technicians are trained. We are especially interested in supporting educational outreach in math, science and technology to women/minority students and academic institutions with ethnically diverse enrollments. Focus on biodiversity initiatives with support to programs that restore critical ecosystems, address water, air quality research, preserve wetlands and sponsor wetlands initiatives. As part of our commitment to environmental stewardship, we support projects that restore and protect critical ecosystems. In addition to restoration and preservation efforts, we fund research projects for threatened wildlife and/or habitats.

The Neotropical Grassland Conservancy donates equipment and money to local scientists and direct conservation projects and educational programs. Our philosophy promotes cost-effective ways to impact conservation of grasslands, empowers local people and launches careers, and creates a valuable network of promising scientists and students. We are dedicated to: (1) conservation - promoting the conservation of savannas, gallery forests, wetlands, and associated ecosystems in Central and South America, and (2) collaboration - fostering mutually beneficial collaboration between North American and Central and South American scientists and institutions by providing shared scientific and educational opportunities. The Research Equipment Program provides basic science equipment to scientists and students in the American tropics to assist their research opportunities and education. Many outstanding researchers need essentials such as microscopes, GPS units, mist nets, video cameras, binoculars, and science textbooks. Equipment is either donated or purchased and sent to Latin America at relatively little expense. The intent of the program is that donated equipment and literature be of general use to a variety of projects, students and researchers. 

The North American Native Fishes Association (NANFA) sponsors a cash awards program to support research relating to the conservation of North America's indigenous fish fauna. NANFA wishes to support research that contributes to the sustainable existence of North American native fishes, especially those that are imperiled.

The California Sea Grant College Program emphasizes innovative research on ocean and coastal resources and processes with a well-developed rationale and a strong potential for broad application. University-based research that has broad national or international application is appropriate. Work with a strong theoretical basis that encompasses clear, testable hypotheses is desirable; low priority is given to survey or inventory studies. Research that addresses important regional issues, problems and opportunities is also appropriate. An educational or outreach component of research projects is valued.

The Challenger Society has members in Universities, research institutes, regulatory agencies and more widely in the UK and indeed worldwide. The society thereby is the main academic society representing the UK academic marine research community. It also has strong links to and members with the UK marine technology sector and policy community. The UK marine science community is strong, large and world-leading with its ships and scientists operating around the world. The Society was founded in 1906 and over a century later brings together scientists working and researching in all areas of the marine sciences.