Society for Conservation Biology Marine Section
Conservation Research Small Grants Program
Small Grant Program Information
BACKGROUND
The need for financial support of marine conservation efforts is acute in many parts of the world, especially in developing nations and those with little or no access to conservation funding. The Society for Conservation Biology Marine Section initiated the Conservation Small Grants Program (CSGP) to fund worthy conservation projects around the globe. The objective of the SCB Marine Section CSGP is to advance the conservation of marine biodiversity and the communities which depend on healthy marine systems by providing funds to individuals or groups for research, conservation, and restoration activities in support of the section’s Mission and Goals:
Mission
To advance the science and practice of conserving the Earth’s marine biological diversity
Goals:
- Be a global focal point for marine conservation
- Facilitate the dissemination of the science of marine conservation through education, publications, presentations, and media outreach
- Promote marine conservation as a priority for SCB
- Inform and facilitate the implementation of marine conservation policy
- Encourage communication/action across disciplinary, national and institutional boundaries
- Create the capacity to accomplish the aforementioned goals
Grants range from $750-1,000 USD.
Eligibility:
Applicants must be members of the Society for Conservation Biology’s Marine Section. Applicants must be conducting conservation efforts in developing countries. If your project is being conducted in a country that is not designated as developing by the World Bank, but has less access to conservation funding, your application may still be considered with sufficient justification. Priority will be given to applicants who demonstrate capacity to accomplish the proposed work (e.g., through matching funds, matching funds in kind, or existing in-country capacity), and to first-time applicants. Funds must be spent within 12 months after award.
Eligible activities:
Examples of eligible activities:
- Providing materials to train local residents to reduce impacts of human activities on marine organisms and their habitats;
- Developing educational materials for implementing conservation practices, such as teaching fishers to reduce bycatch;
- Surveys of previously unsurveyed areas to evaluate status and conservation of marine organisms or habitats;
- Travel to and from research sites;
- Participant travel to focus groups/workshops;
- Research equipment and supplies (e.g. dive equipment, sampling supplies, photographic equipment);
- Other direct costs (e.g., boat fuel).
Non-eligible activities:
- Travel to the ICCBs, IMCCs, or other meetings;
- Personal expenses such as food, lodging, or professional membership fees;
- Researcher salaries;
- Tuition or course fees;
- Indirect/Overhead/F&A.
Application Period
Applications for 2023 will be accepted from Monday March 20th to Friday May 5th at 5:00 P.M. Eastern time. Awards will be announced no later than Friday June 2nd.
Information, announcements, and application reminders for the current and future grants rounds will be posted to the SCB Marine section listserve, in the Marine Section news, and on the Section's social media pages.
The application form may be accessed here. Application materials may be sent to SCB Marine Science Officer David Shiffman. If you have questions, please email the Marine Section Science Officer. Previous grant recipients may complete their final Small Grants Report Form using this form.
If you require the guidelines document or forms in large print, audio, Braille, or a colored background, please contact the Marine Section Diversity Committee Chair Shaili Johri.
2017-18 Conservation Research Small Grants Recipients
| Awardee | Project Country | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Ursla Benedite Koumbo Tagagoum | Cameroon | Sea turtles conservation: increased conservation efforts through education and capacity building for nesting beaches monitoring and bycatch reporting in southern coast of Cameroon |
| Margaret Awuor Owuor | Kenya | Integrated assessment of ecosystem services in a marine protected area: the case of Malindi and Watamu Marine Park and Reserves |
| Zach Boakes | Indonesia | North Bali reef conservation |
| Fernando Lopes | Brazil | First data on population genetics of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean |
| Arushi Dutt | India | A digital documentation on marine conservation and its impact on locals around Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve |
| Mariana Chavez-Andrade | Mexico | Biodiversity and habitat use of marine mammals in the Central Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico |
| T. E. Angela Quiros | Philippines | Coral reef education and outreach in the Verde Island Passage, Philippines |
| Jenny Carolina Rodríguez Villalobos | Mexico | Bringing science to people: involvement of local community to coral reef conservation |
| Cleto Nanola Jr. | Philippines | Macro-invertebrate assessment of rocky intertidal areas in Samal Island, Davao Gulf (MARINA) |
| Leonardo Ariel Venerus | Argentina | Fishing for useful data in purposeless archives: the potential benefits of digging into the history of the recreational fishing tournaments in Argentina |
| Gustavo Castellanos-Galindo | Panama | Pacific Goliath Grouper conservation in Panama |
| Shaili Johri | India | Molecular identification of elasmobranchs from landing sites in India |
| Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez | Mexico | Natural history of the giant sea bass Stereolepis gigas in Mexican waters |
| Andrea Dawn Phillott | India | Sea turtle hatchery management practices in Gujarat and Maharashtra, India |
*For more information on the 2017-18 recipients, please visit the 2017-18 SCB Marine Conservation Research Small Grants Winners page.
2016-17 Conservation Research Small Grants Recipients
| Awardee | Project Country | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Jo Marie Acebes | Philippines | In search of the big blue: assessing the occurrence of blue whales in the Bohol Sea, Philippines |
| Folaranmi Babalola | Nigeria | Assessment of Local Perceptions and Community-Based Conservation Strategy for Dolphins in Eastern Nigerian Inshore Atlantic |
| Georgia Coward | Maldives | Restoring a critical coral reef nursery in the Maldives |
| Katie Gledhill | South Africa | Population genetics to assist with the conservation and management of the endemic, data deficient, leopard shark Poroderma pantherinum |
| Katrina Heckendorn | Mozambique | Determining the motivations for, and social and ecological effects of, fishing behaviours in an artisanal fishery in Pemba Bay, Cabo Delgado, Mozambique |
| Shaili Johri | India | Molecular-assisted identification and economic value assessment of Batoid species at landing sites in Gujurat, India |
| Paul Rodrigue Ngafack | Cameroon | Citizen Science: Involving local communities and citizens in marine mammals conservation using modern technology in Cameroon coastal line |
| Pedro Henrique Cipresso Pereira | Brazil | Lionfish invasion in Brazilian coral reefs: Emergency cause involving local community, researchers and dive centres |
| Luz Helena Rodriquez-Vargas | Colombia | Fishermen capacity building for lionfish control at Taganga Fishing Community (Colombia) |
| Julia Tovar Verba | Brazil | Managing Data-poor Fisheries: integrating social and ecological approaches for marine spatial planning |
*For more information on the 2016-17 recipients, please visit the 2016-17 SCB Marine Conservation Research Small Grants Winners page.
2015 Conservation Research Small Grants Recipients
|
Awardee |
Project Country | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Michela Catena | India | Ridding India's Waterways of Fecal Bacteria, One Step at a Time |
| Eka Maya Kurniasih | Indonesia | Baseline Data Collection of Ocean Sunfish (Family: Molidae) Distribution Along Bali and East Java |
| Lalith Ekanayake | Sri Lanka | Marine Turtle By-catch Reduction and Rescue Programme in the Gulf of Mannar, Northwest Sri Lanka |
| Robert Eliakim Katikiro | Tanzania | Locally-based and Cost-effective Tools for Protection of Turtle Nests |
| Maarten De Brauwer | Indonesia | Assessment of Abundance of Pygmy Seahorses in Bangka Island, Indonesia |
| Tilen Genov | Slovenia | Educational Exhibition: Research for the Conservation of the Adriatic Sea - the Slovenian Dolphin Project |
| Kara Pellowe | Mexico | Life History Science to Improve Conservation Management of the Mexican Chocolate Clam in Loreto, Mexico |
| Catherine Kim | Timor-Leste | Coral Health and Disease Across an Anthropogenic Gradient in Timor-Leste |
*For more information on the 2015 recipients, please visit the 2015 SCB Marine Conservation Research Small Grants Winners page.