The Sophie Danforth Conservation Biology Fund makes grants of up to US$1 thousand to protect threatened wildlife and habitats worldwide. Priority is for projects that demonstrate a multi-disciplinary approach to ecosystem conservation, and that involve in-country collaborators. Projects must directly affect biological conservation. Applicants can be of any nationality but must be associated with an organization (non-profit, university, etc.) through which they can receive funding. The application deadline is 01 January 2027. About the conservation grants
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iF International Forum Design GmbH — Student Design Award
The iF Student Design Award recognizes students and their future-oriented concepts that aim to solve a global development challenge. The best concepts earn a share of €50 thousand. All winners will be honored with a two-day event in Istanbul. Students and recent graduates of all design-related courses and programs are welcome to register their concepts. The registration deadline for participation is 03 February 2027. iF Student Design Award
National Geographic Society — Slingshot Challenge
The National Geographic Society seeks applications for its Slingshot Challenge. The challenge invites 13–18-year-olds to submit a 1-minute video describing their idea for solving environmental issues. Video submissions must be in English or Spanish. Subtitles are not required but are allowed. National Geographic will select a small number of submissions to receive up to US$10 thousand in funding. Submissions are due by 05 February 2027. Know more
Smithsonian Institution — Fellowship Program
The Smithsonian Institution offers in-residence fellowships for independent research using Smithsonian collections and facilities, open to graduate students, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral and senior researchers, in fields including ecology and environmental science, evolutionary biology, earth sciences, and anthropology, alongside various humanities disciplines. Stipends range from US$10,000 for a ten-week graduate fellowship to US$60,000 per year for senior and postdoctoral fellowships, plus a research allowance. There is no stated citizenship or nationality restriction. The deadline is 15 October 2026. Smithsonian Fellowship
Planet Forward — Student Environmental Storytelling Contest
George Washington University’s Planet Forward invites enrolled or recently graduated post-secondary students to submit environmental storytelling entries — short video, social video, written story, or multimedia — on topics including food, water, energy, biodiversity, and climate justice. Six winners across categories receive a fully paid trip to Alaska’s Inside Passage with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions. Applicants must be enrolled students or within six months of graduation, aged 18+. The deadline is 15 January 2027. Environmental Storytelling Contest
Garden Club of America — Awards in Tropical Botany and Horticulture
The Garden Club of America (GCA) offers several grants, prizes, and fellowships for students enrolled at universities in the USA, including some awards that have a tropical focus. The GCA Awards in Tropical Botany are open to PhD candidates (application deadline is 15 January); the Loy McCandless Marks Scholarship in Tropical Horticulture is restricted to U.S. citizens who are graduate students or advanced undergraduate students (deadline is 15 January). The Anne Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany is open to PhD students and recent PhD graduates (deadline is 31 January). Applicants should review all programs, criteria, and deadlines. Botany and Horticulture Scholarships
Pulitzer Center — Global South Civil Society Microgrants
The Pulitzer Center invites civil society organizations in the Global South to apply for microgrants supporting civic engagement projects. Eligible projects use at least one published Pulitzer Center story to advance public understanding on one of three focus areas: rainforest degradation and Indigenous rights, ocean health and marine governance, or the intersection of climate and labor, including gender and community resilience. Grants range from US$2,000 to US$4,000. Eligible applicants are grassroots organizations, civil society coalitions, youth movements, and community educators with prior experience running civic engagement activities in the Global South, particularly Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The application deadline is 06 September 2026. Civil Society Microgrants
Rainforest Trust — Creating New Protected Areas
The Rainforest Trust partners with local conservation organizations to create new protected areas and expand existing ones for Critically Endangered and Endangered species. The Initiative invites applications for conservation partnerships from nonprofit entities and NGOs for projects in tropical Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Applying organizations may submit proposals for either a land purchase or a protected area designation. Applications to create new protected areas are reviewed three times per year. The next application deadline is 01 October 2026. Applications for less than US$250 thousand may be submitted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Link
Harvard University — Environmental Fellowships 2027
Harvard University’s Center for the Environment awards environmental fellowships. The fellowships enable recent doctorate recipients to use Harvard’s resources to tackle complex environmental problems. Eligibility for funding extends to candidates with a doctorate or equivalent in any subject area from any university in the world. Candidates may propose research projects in any discipline. The fellowship includes a salary of US$92 thousand per year, plus reimbursement for relocation expenses, annual allowance for travel and other professional expenses. The deadline for applications is 01 December 2026. HUCE Environmental Fellowships
Nagao Natural Environment Foundation — Nature Conservation Scholarships for Students from Asia
The NEF Scholarship Scheme financially supports university students from Southeast Asia who study nature conservation (e.g., biology, botany, forestry, etc) at selected universities and institutes in Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Furthermore, scholarship recipients can attend the NEF Student International Workshop. Participants attend lectures, present their own research, visit research facilities, and practice research skills in the field related to nature conservation. Eligibility requirements vary by country, therefore, interested applicants are required to contact the NEF local counterpart representative in their country for application guidelines. There is no fixed application deadline. About this scholarship scheme