The Latin American and Caribbean (LACA) Section of the Society for Conservation Biology is pleased to announce the continuation of our scholarship opportunity for 2018, which is available to graduate students working in the Latin American and Caribbean region. LACA will be offering four competitive scholarships of $2,000 US each in support of expenses associated with emerging conservation professionals conducting their thesis work in disciplines and subjects directly related to applied conservation science, and for which some tangible conservation benefit or outcome is anticipated.
Rationale:
Some of the most pressing issues with respect to conservation are found across Latin America and the Caribbean geographical regions. Universities and colleges across most of the LACA membership region do not currently have adequate support for the professional development of their emerging conservation professionals. As a consequence, more support is needed for the projects of LACA graduate students who have the potential to be greatly impactful in conservation. This scholarship opportunity is intended to increase support for the most creative and innovative conservation graduate students in pursuing meaningful conservation projects in the LACA region, so they may pursue and conduct outstanding research in applied conservation natural and social sciences.
Deadline: December 15, 2018
Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible, students must: (1) be a member in good standing of the Society for Conservation Biology, (2) be a member of SCB’s LACA Section, (3) be a native citizen of a Latin American or Caribbean nation (i.e., countries and territories of the Americas excluding the United States, Canada, and Greenland), (4) be enrolled in a graduate program at a University or College in a Latin American or Caribbean nation, (5) demonstrate financial need, and (6) be conducting a graduate research project with high potential for immediate conservation impact.
Application Guidelines:
Candidates working on topics of greatest importance to the mission of The Society for Conservation Biology will receive the highest consideration. Please submit the following materials by December 15:
1. Proposal Summary or Statement (3 pages maximum, single spaced). Provide an overview as to what your work is, and why your work is important relative to existing studies, including how/why it is different, or what gap/problem it is uniquely addressing. Also, discuss how it is relevant to SCB’s mission, and what you hope to accomplish across your career.
2. Budget. Please include a budget table or description showing how the scholarship funds will be spent, and please briefly discuss your financial need (1 paragraph)
3. CV (3 pages max, any format)
4. Indicate your country of citizenship and SCB Membership Number
5. Two letters of reference (one of which is required to be from your major professor or advisor; in the letter, your advisor should briefly state why these funds are needed)
6. Undergraduate and current graduate transcripts, and GPA
Successful applicants will be required to furnish receipts for expenses up to the full amount of the award. We expect this scholarship will be a recurring annual or bi-annual opportunity, and we are proud to be the first SCB Section to offer such an opportunity in support of further developing the careers of its graduate student members. Please note that as of this year, preference will be given to applicants that have been SCB members in good standing prior to the year of application (international student rates apply).
All files must be in either MS Word, pdf, or jpeg format. Please send all application materials as a single zip/compressed file saved as “last name_first initial(s)” of the applicant (e.g., Rodriguez_JRC) in a single email with the subject line “LACA SCHOLARSHIP” to: