The Future for Wildlife Seed Grants Program provides funds to support field conservation projects in Africa and Asia. Annual awards, ranging from $1000 to $3500, are made to conservation and field research initiatives that will help secure a future for wildlife and educational or cultural activities that positively impact wildlife, habitats and human communities.
OVERVIEW
Ideal projects have a 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 (anti-poaching, 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, etc.)
- Conservation biology, ecology and natural history studies (terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems)
Projects that focus on taxa/issues targeted by the Zoo’s key wildlife conservation programs or represent a species/taxa found at the Zoo will be given priority.
DEADLINES
- Pre-Proposal Deadline: 4 November 2019
- Pre-Proposal Notification: 6 December 2019
- Full Proposal Deadline: 27 January 2020
- Final Notification: 28 February 2020
AWARD AMOUNT
$1,000-$3,500
CONTACT
Contact us at grants@clevelandmetroparks.com
APPLICATION & REPORTING MATERIALS
- Application Form (PDF)
- Pre-Proposal Application Guidelines (PDF)
- Full Proposal Application Guidelines (PDF)
- Reporting Guidelines (PDF)
CRITERIA
- Requests for funds should provide adequate information for evaluation of the project and the specific request, including a detailed experimental design and methodology.
- Projects that designate local/public education/awareness as a significant program outcome must include an evaluation component.
- Projects should begin in the year that they are applying for funding, (but not before funds are to be awarded) and contain a clearly defined beginning and end point.
- Funds will not be awarded for elements of a project that will have already occurred before awards are made.
- Although exceptions can be made, ongoing costs such as salaries of permanent staff and other administrative costs are generally not considered.
- Funds to cover contingencies or indirect costs are not granted.
- Partial funding of a project may be considered if a particular component of the project can be supported and completed independently, or if it is made clear that additional funding has been obtained or is being sought from other sources to cover remaining costs.
- Proposals requesting more than the maximum amount of funds allowed for the specific grant program will not be accepted.
- Subsequent phases of previously funded projects may be submitted.
- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is not required to be a collaborator for a project to be eligible for funding.
- Highly invasive research, or projects that collect/voucher specimens will not be considered for funding.
PROCESS
Please refer to the timeline above for deadlines and notification dates. Pre-Proposal Applications should be sent to the Conservation Grants Assistant at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The principal investigator (PI) will be notified via email that the pre-proposal has been received and is being considered for funding. All pre-proposals will be reviewed and applicants notified via email. A limited number of applicants will be asked to submit a full proposal for review. Full proposals will be submitted to a scientific committee for final review and award determination. Final award notifications will be made via email. Projects will be reviewed by scientists familiar with the research techniques and/or the species being studied. All aspects of the project and proposal will undergo careful review by multiple reviewers, and all research, whether it is by students or professionals in the field, must adhere to the rigors and ethical principles established for valid and responsible scientific study.
Applicants previously funded through Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s competitive grants programs may apply for additional funding for the same or a new project only after all of the requirements have been met for the previously funded work. If applying for additional funds for the same project, the applicant is limited to two grants. After two grants have been awarded for a project, the PI is not eligible to apply for further funding for that project. There is no limit to the number of applications one can submit for different projects. The application process is the same for both new and second-time applicants.
All correspondence with regard to the proposal and review process will be directed to the PI using the contact information provided in the Pre-Proposal/Proposal Application Form. Award and decline notifications are made via email for all proposals received for review, and are made based on the final decisions of the review committee. Upon notification of award, PI must contact the Conservation Grants Assistant to provide written acceptance of awards and conditions, and complete fund transfer information before funds are disbursed.
EXPECTATIONS
Grant recipients are expected to:
- Provide written acceptance of awarded funds including verification of funds received, and agreement to terms and conditions detailed here.
- Provide a few photographs of your project that can be used in our zoo publications or resources within a few months of the award (may be of animals, habitat, yourself/others working on the project, etc.). Please send higher resolution/publishable images (4x6in and 300dpi, <1MB).
- Maintain contact with and provide periodic updates to the Conservation Grants Assistant. At the minimum, provide a 6-month update via email describing the general progress of the project to date. A few paragraphs to one page of text is appropriate.
- Acknowledge the financial support of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in any presentations, meetings, publications and/or materials resulting from the project.
- Submit a final report, including accounting of funds; within one year of receipt of the award (see guidelines below). If the project is more than one year in duration, a progress report should be submitted one year following the award in addition to a final report at the end of the project.
REPORTING
All reports and follow up information should be directed to the Conservation Grants Assistant at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Final reports should be sent within one year following the award and follow provided Reporting Guidelines. (PDF)
