WAI Fellowships support PhD students and postdocs who want research careers in wild animal welfare science. Fellows work with a WAI mentor for a three-month placement to turn their project idea into a full research plan, then complete the project with their academic supervisor. Grants run up to US$100,000 a year for up to three years, with a guaranteed stipend of at least US$50,000 a year (up to US$75,000 to match local postdoc pay). Applications close on 31 October 2026. Link
Category: Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife
WAI Seed Grants fund small research projects that answer preliminary questions before indicator validation or a larger WAI research proposal. Eligible projects include systematic literature reviews, meta-analyses, pilot studies that identify indicators worth validating, and prototyping of data collection methods or technology. Grants are up to US$30,000 in total for up to two years. Applications close on 31 October 2026. WAI Seed Grants
- Tags: conservation, early-career, individuals, october2026, research, wildlife
WAI Welfare Ecology Grants fund research on the causal relationships between wild animal welfare and other variables, with emphasis on ecological network effects and interactions among multiple species. The aim is to find levers that could eventually inform interventions or policies. Grants are up to US$200,000 in total for up to three years. Applications close on 31 October 2026. Welfare Ecology Grants
- Tags: conservation, early-career, individuals, october2026, research, wildlife
Wild Animal Initiative invites academic researchers to apply for Validation Grants, Welfare Ecology Grants, or Seed Grants supporting research that advances wild animal welfare science, alongside WAI Fellowships for early-career researchers. Principal investigators must be affiliated with a university or research institution, and any fieldwork must include collaborators who are residents of the country where it takes place; NGO-managed projects require registration in that country. WAI cannot sponsor visas, so work carried out in the United States by a non-US resident generally cannot be funded, and it cannot fund research in countries under US sanctions, such as Iran, North Korea, or Russia. The deadline is 31 October 2026. Wild Animal Research Grants
- Tags: conservation, early-career, individuals, october2026, research, wildlife
Bennington College offers cash prizes for work on the natural world by students in grades 9 to 12 worldwide: US$2,000 for first place, US$1,000 for second, US$500 for third, and US$250 for distinguished entries. Each student may submit one work, such as a scientific illustration, a field guide to local plants, animals or geology, a research poster or a process diagram, with an optional written explanation of up to 500 words. Winners and finalists who later enroll at Bennington also receive tuition scholarships. Submissions are open until 01 November 2026. Young Scientists Awards
- Tags: awards/prizes, individuals, november2026, wildlife, worldwide, youth
The Alice McCosh Trust awards one-off grants of around £1,000 to advance education in natural history and the environment. Grants can cover fieldwork for a research project or the cost of producing materials that increase understanding of the environment or encourage people to protect it. Individuals of any age and nationality can apply. The application deadline is 30 November each year. Link
The World Wildlife Fund offers a master’s fellowship to Ugandan nationals researching human-wildlife conflict and coexistence. The research must focus on solutions to elephants raiding crops on farmland near the northern border of Murchison Falls National Park. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline such as biology, ecology, conservation, zoology or geography. Fellows can request up to US$15,000 a year for up to two years, covering tuition and fees, living expenses, books and materials, and research costs. Applications close on 15 December 2026. WWF Master’s Fellowship
Holohil Systems supplies radio-tracking equipment and related services for wildlife research and management. Holohil manages a grant program to offer transmitters at a reduced or no cost for projects focusing on wildlife species of especially high research and/or conservation value. Holohil will contribute up to C$2,500 toward the purchase of transmitters. Holohil will pay all shipping charges. Eligibility to apply for the grants extends to conservation professionals and researchers anywhere in the world. Support is awarded four times a year. The application deadlines are 15 January, 15 April, 15 July, and 15 October each year. About the Program
- Tags: april2027, conservation, individuals, january2027, july2027, october2027, research, wildlife, worldwide
The Global EbA Fund invites proposals that remove the barriers to scaling ecosystem-based adaptation. Projects can strengthen institutional and technical capacity, build evidence and learning networks, prepare investment-ready concepts, adapt proven technologies or fund applied research. Grants are up to US$250,000 for projects of up to 24 months. The call focuses on Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries. NGOs, community and Indigenous organisations, universities, research institutes, private companies, and international and intergovernmental organisations can apply, alone or in consortia. Projects must build on existing work and partner with local institutions. Applications are open until 26 October 2026. Ecosystem-based Adaptation
The Earth Journalism Network invites journalists, content creators and other media professionals in Ghana, Mexico and the Philippines to apply for free three-day virtual workshops on the global target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 and on marine protected areas. The Ghana workshop runs the week of 15 February 2027, Mexico the week of 22 February and the Philippines the week of 1 March. The network will accept 30 to 40 participants per country, and attendees who complete all sessions receive a certificate. A limited number of communication grants are available to people with unstable internet in remote areas. Participants get special consideration for the network’s reporting grants of US$1,500 each, of which it aims to award up to 35. Applications close on 02 November 2026. Virtual Workshops