Hike & Cycle awards Nature-Saving Scholarships to students who raise environmental awareness and support a responsible approach to outdoor activities using their writing skills. For this contest participants are asked to prepare a list of nature-saving rules on one of the following subjects: (1) Responsible Camping; (2) How Hikers Can Make Sure That They Don’t Hurt Wildlife; and (3) Recommendations for Responsible Behavior Near Bodies of Water. Participants must currently be enrolled in high school, university, or college. Applications from all countries are accepted. The first place winner will get US$1,000 and the second place winner will receive US$500. Submissions must be received by 11 March 2018. See the Submission Requirements
awards/prizes
Inter-Research Science Center — Ecology Prizes 2018
The International Ecology Institute in Germany annually selects top performers worldwide in the field of ecology for the Ecology Institute Prize and the IRPE Prize. The winner of the Ecology Institute Prize will be awarded €6 thousand; the winner of the IRPE Prize will receive €3 thousand. Nominations are invited from research ecologists worldwide. The closing date for nominations is 31 March 2018. Know more
Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade — Water for Women (WASH) Research Awards
The Water for Women Fund aims to improve health, gender equality, and well-being of Asian and Pacific communities. Research organisations are invited to submit proposals for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Research Awards. Applications must be submitted by research organisations or institutions (individual researchers are not eligible). The Funding Round is open to Australian and international non-profit institutions or organisations. Applicants may request between AU$100 thousand and AU$400 thousand per year for up to three years. Proposals should be submitted by 27 February 2018. More
American Academy for the Advancement of Science — Global Innovation through Science and Technology 2018
The program Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) invites scientists, entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators in 136 emerging countries to compete in the GIST Tech-I Competition 2018. The competition is open to everyone between the ages of 18 to 40 in any sector who has either an idea or a startup in the form of an invention, a product, a service, an app, any combination of these, or something entirely unique. Each participant in the competition submits an executive summary and a promotional video. The top 10 semi-finalists will advance to the Tech-I finals during the 2018 Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Istanbul, Turkey to showcase their ventures and receive intensive training. The application deadline is 28 December 2017. More here
Tinker Foundation — Martha T. Muse Prize for Antarctica 2018
The Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica is presented to an individual in his or her early or mid-career who demonstrates potential for sustained and significant contributions to enhance the understanding and/or preservation of Antarctica. The amount of the prize is US$100 thousand. The prize winner can be from any country, and work in any field of Antarctic science or policy. The deadline for nominations is 14 March 2018. Nominate
Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation — Navjot Sodhi Conservation Research Award 2017
The ATBC makes the Navjot Sodhi Conservation Research Award each year to a student from a developing country. Eligibility extends to ATBC student members who are nationals of tropical developing countries, and who are conducting research that directly contributes to biodiversity conservation within the tropics. All individuals who have been students within the previous 12 months can apply. The award is up to US$500. The deadline for submitting nominations and self-nominations is 31 December. Nominate yourself here
Shell International — Energy, Water and Food Challenge
The Shell Ideas360 competition invites students from all around the world to develop ideas to tackle the pressures on the world’s Food, Water and Energy resources. The theme of the competition is “People & Planet – the Energy, Water and Food Challenge”. It is open to students currently studying as a full time bachelor’s or master’s student at a recognized university. The finalist teams will be assigned a Shell Mentor to help them develop their ideas and fly to Make the Future, London (in July 2018). The winning team will win a National Geographic Adventure. Submission deadline for ideas is 19 January 2018. Interested in submitting your idea?
MIT Center for Collective Intelligence — Climate CoLab: Synergistic Solutions for Sustainable Development
The MIT Climate CoLab organizes contests to solicit the world’s best ideas to prevent and adapt to climate change. This contest asks participants to combine real-world proposals and share how they can achieve multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Participants may select and combine existing proposals on the Climate CoLab platform to develop new integrated proposals for achieving multiple SDGs. The winner will be invited to attend the official launch event for the upcoming Global Environment Outlook assessment (GEO-6) during the Fourth UN Environment Assembly in March 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya (all expenses paid). Deadline for applications is 07 January 2018. More about the contest
UN Environment and Think Beyond Plastic — Marine Plastics Innovation Challenge
UN Environment in collaboration with Think Beyond Plastic invites university students from all over the globe to take part in the 2017 Marine Plastic Innovation Challenge. The challenge seeks solution-oriented engineering, research and communication projects that can help solve the global marine litter problem. The innovation challenge is organized around four themes: (1) Design and Engineering, (2) Communication, (3) Prediction and Recovery, and (4) Economics. The winners will be invited to the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference in San Diego, USA, on 12 – 16 March 2018 and receive professional mentoring. Deadline for submissions is 20 November 2017. More about the Challenge
African Innovation Fund — Innovation Prize for Africa 2018
The Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) honors and encourages innovative achievements that contribute toward developing new products, increasing efficiency, or saving cost in Africa. Priority areas for the IPA include agriculture and agribusiness; environment, energy, and water; and others. The competition is open to African entrepreneurs, academics, and inventors — and to Africans in the Diaspora if their innovations are of significance for Africa. Prizes are US$100 thousand for the winner, plus two other prizes of US$25 thousand each. Additionally, finalists will receive a voucher for US$5 thousand in post-prize technical support to assist in moving their innovations to the next step. The deadline for applications is 10 January 2018. Link