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 30 April 2017. Additionally, the Center calls for nominations for the Otto Kinne Foundation Fellowship, with deadline on 31 October 2017. Link
awards/prizes
National Cheng Kung University — Gro Bruntland Awards 2017
Taiwan’s Cheng Kung University will host Gro Bruntland Week in March 2017 to honor Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and Director-General of the World Health Organization. Five young female scientists, one from Taiwan and four from developing countries, will be invited to present their research related to public health and sustainable development. TVG Note: This can possibly include research related to food production and nutrition, water supply, or other environmental influences on health. Candidates should be female, less than 40 years old, and hold a research doctorate. The deadline to apply is 04 December 2016. Link
Olam — Prize for Food Security 2017
The Olam Prize for Innovation in Food Security honors and offers financial support to an outstanding research project for its potential impact on the availability, affordability, accessibility, or adequacy of food. Olam invites applications from research projects in plant science, soil science, nutritional science, agricultural sciences, and any other field of scientific research impacting food security, focused on any part of the agricultural supply chain. The winning research project will receive US$50 thousand in unrestricted funding to support further development of the research project. The deadline for applications is 17 January 2017. Link
OpenIDEO — Economic Opportunities for Youth in East Africa
OpenIDEO convenes a global community to collaboratively create solutions addressing the world’s biggest challenges. Among these challenges is the Youth Empowerment Challenge for East Africa, which aims to empower young people in East Africa to participate in the economy. OpenIDEO invites new ideas that motivate and inspire youth; build skills; support their transition into financial stability; include the private sector; or harness the potential for the participation of young people in agriculture. The Challenge is looking for ideas that answer its challenge question and that are targeted at youth between ages 18-35 in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. At least five winners of this challenge will receive a grant of between US$50 thousand and US$150 thousand, plus training and design support from IDEO. The challenge is open to all creative thinkers worldwide, and in any discipline. The deadline for submissions in the ideas phase is 31 October 2016. Link
Global Social Venture Competition — Competition 2017
The Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC) is a partnership of business schools in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with mentoring, exposure, and funding to support their social ventures. Past winners include plans for water supply, energy micro-credit, agricultural processing, ecological building materials, and other environmental themes. The GSVC will award cash prizes up to US$25 thousand. The deadline for the first entry round in most regions is 05 December 2016. Link
MIT Center for Collective Intelligence — Climate CoLab
The MIT Climate CoLab organizes contests to invite the best ideas from around the world to prevent and adapt to climate change. A recently launched contest (“Anticipating Climate Hazards”) calls for ideas on how vulnerable communities can best prepare for climate-related hazards, and for new tools that can be used to incentivize early action. The Judges’ Choice Winner will receive an expenses-paid trip to present its winning proposal to the A2R Leadership Group of key global actors in building climate resilience. The contest deadline is 10 February 2017. Link
Peace Direct — Awards for Environmental Peace Building
The program Tomorrow’s Peacebuilders makes awards to recognize the achievements of grassroots peace activists. The categories for the awards include one for environmental peacebuilding. Tomorrow’s Peacebuilders will offer US$10 thousand to the winning organization in each category, plus promotional opportunities. There is no geographical restriction on applications. Applicants for the awards should be local independent organizations. Peace Direct prefers applications submitted in English, but it will also accept applications in French and Spanish. The deadline for applications is 10 October 2016. Link
World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) — Young Scientist National Awards in Africa 2016
The AU-TWAS Young Scientist National Awards are co-sponsored by TWAS and the African Union. Monetary prizes of US$2 thousand are offered to young (not over age 40) African scientists in each of two categories: life and earth sciences; and basic sciences, technology, and innovation. Participating countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. Nominations of women scientists are particularly encouraged. The closing date for nominations is 21 November 2016. Link
Energy and Environment Partnership for Southern and East Africa — Project of the Year 2016
The EEP will make an award for “EEP Project of the Year 2016.” Nominations are invited from current or previously completed EEP S&EA projects. EEP will fund travel, accommodation, and associated costs for one representative of the winning project to present at the African Utility Week / Clean Power Africa in Cape Town (May 2017). The deadline for nominations is 15 September 2016. Link
Human Development Innovation Fund — Mawazo Challenge in Tanzania
The Human Development Innovation Fund (HDIF) is funded by the UK government to create social impact in education, health and water, and sanitation and hygiene (WASH) across Tanzania. The Mawazo Challenge invites ideas to design a competition or award scheme that will foster and support promising ideas to solve problems in these areas. The best three ideas will be awarded cash prizes, including five million Tanzanian shillings for the first prize. The application deadline (first stage) is 15 August 2016. Link