MESPOM is a two-year Erasmus Mundus master’s course in environmental sciences, policy, and management operated by four European and two North American universities. MESPOM invites applications from all countries. MESPOM aims to prepare students for identifying and implementing solutions to complex environmental sustainability challenges, especially in an international context. Graduates receive MSc degrees from the Central European University, Lund University, and the University of Manchester. The program offers several forms of financial assistance, including tuition fee waivers and living stipends. Candidates applying for financial aid should submit their applications before 27 January 2027. About MESPOM
conservation
Rainforest Trust — Rapid Protected-Area Feasibility Awards
The Rainforest Trust provides partnership and funding opportunities to local conservation NGOs across the tropics. The Rapid Protected-Area Feasibility Awards is intended for conservationists and researchers to evaluate important potential sites for creating new Protected Areas. Awards average US$5 thousand. The applicant must be an NGO based in the country of the proposed protected area. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Link
Association of Commonwealth Universities — Early Career Conference Grants
The Association of Commonwealth Universities offers seven grants of up to £2,000 each, helping early-career researchers attend conferences in other Commonwealth countries. The grants cover registration fees, flights, accommodation, visas, and travel and health insurance. Applicants must be early-career academics at an ACU member university, within seven years of starting their academic career. They must be chairing a session or presenting a paper or poster at an in-person conference in a Commonwealth country other than the one where they work. The conference must take place between January 2027 and January 2028. The deadline is 13 October 2026. Conference Grants
Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund — Grants for Endangered Species Conservation
The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund invites applications for grants supporting the conservation of individual threatened plant, animal and fungi species anywhere in the world. Grants are up to US$25 thousand, and the Fund gives priority to Endangered, Critically Endangered and Data Deficient species. It mainly supports fieldwork in the species’ natural habitat, such as surveys, direct conservation action and training. Applications must be in English, with budgets in US dollars, and submitted through the Fund’s online system. The criteria page states no limits on applicant type or country. The deadline is 15 October 2026. Grants for Endangered Species Conservation
Conservation Leadership Programme — Grants for Early-Career Conservationists
The Conservation Leadership Programme offers early-career conservationists project grants of up to US$15 thousand, plus ongoing support from its alumni network, including funding, training and mentorship. Projects must protect globally important at-risk habitats and species through ecological research and conservation action. Themes include climate adaptation, biodiversity, habitat restoration, community-led conservation, human-wildlife conflict, policy, and education or citizen science. Teams must have at least three members, all with no more than five years of professional conservation experience. All members must be nationals of the country where the project takes place. Concept notes are due by 30 October 2026. Link to the Conservation Leadership Program
Wild Animal Initiative — Research Grants
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
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund — Small Grants Program in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund invites letters of inquiry from non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, Indigenous peoples’ organisations, women’s groups, youth groups and other civil society organisations based in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Projects must support community engagement in managing threatened ecosystems and species in eligible areas of the country. Grants are up to US$50 thousand. The deadline is 01 November 2026. Small Grants Program
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund — Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund invites local civil society organisations in Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, or Vietnam to apply for grants supporting biodiversity conservation in the Indo-Burma Hotspot. Small grants go up to US$50,000, and large grants range from US$50,000 to US$250,000. The deadline is 02 November 2026. More
United Nations Environment Programme — Small Grants for Community Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Projects
UNEP invites community-based organisations and associations, civil society organisations, local and national NGOs, government institutions and regional not-for-profits that work directly with coastal and island communities in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. Grants are up to US$100 thousand each, for community-led projects to restore coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass meadows, to develop blue carbon and carbon finance that improves coastal livelihoods, or to empower women, youth and Indigenous peoples in ecosystem management. Applicants must commit significant co-financing in cash or in kind. The deadline is 02 November 2026. Small Grants
Sequoia Park Zoo — Conservation Grant Program
The Sequoia Park Zoo supports field research, habitat restoration, rescue and rehabilitation efforts, public awareness campaigns, and annual lecture series. The Zoo also offers an annual Conservation Grant Program, awarding up to US$3,000 per project, for work that delivers clear, measurable impact on wildlife or habitat conservation. Applicants must be affiliated with a conservation-related organization or an education institution. Pre-proposals can be submitted until 02 November 2026. Conservation Grant Program