Funding Opportunity / 

Conservation Leadership Programme 2017 Award

The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) is a training and capacity building programme that targets individuals from developing countries who are early in their conservation career and demonstrate leadership potential. Working as a partnership initiative with BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International and the Wildlife Conservation Society, CLP builds the leadership capabilities of early-career conservation professionals working in places with limited capacity to address high-priority conservation issues. The partner organisations believe that the programme’s success can be attributed to the fact that it goes beyond grant giving, providing on-going support and access to networks that help awardees gain skills and move up the conservation career ladder. The deadline to apply is November 28th, 2016.


Future Conservationist Awards:

CLP offers Future Conservationist Awards of up to US$12,500 each to develop leadership capacity of earlycareer conservationists who want to make a positive difference on the ground. CLP supports teams of individuals with less than five years of professional conservation experience,  ho display a strong commitment to conservation and demonstrate leadership potential. All team members should have a desire to be impact multipliers across the conservation sector with the ultimate goal of mitigating threats to biological diversity. CLP develops conservation leaders by helping these groups of individuals gain practical experience in managing their own priority projects. Future Conservationist Awards of up to US$12,500 each are offered on an annual basis to teams that exhibit leadership potential in biodiversity conservation and who will develop key skills through small-scale practical conservation projects. Winners of these awards will develop key skills through small-scale practical conservation projects and become eligible for continued support through CLP’s Continuation Awards and Alumni Network. CLP award winners also have long-term backing and advisory support from CLP staff and partner organisations as they develop in their careers.

How CLP can help:

Proposal Preparation:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact programme staff up to two weeks before the deadline for advice or input on your proposal. Requests for support should be sent to: [email protected]. Staff members can help teams determine if their project fits within the specified criteria, offer advice on methods and project activities and, where possible, put teams in touch with local partner offices or other experts who can offer advice.

CLP Ambassador Programme:

CLP’s Alumni Ambassador Programme can support interested applicants for a Future Conservationist Award. Members of the CLP alumni network have volunteered their time to be Ambassadors and provide feedback to applicants prior to submitting to CLP. Ambassadors will provide feedback in the following areas: project concept, English grammar, cohesion of proposal and research design, if this falls within their area of expertise. This support will be offered until two weeks before the deadline. To find an Ambassador in your region or with appropriate experience, visit the CLP website and read Ambassador Biographies. Send an email directly to one of our Ambassadors!

Website Resources:

On the CLP website under the Grants section, you can find useful information about project planning and additional funding sources. The Conservation Project Manual, which can be downloaded in full, takes you through the process of planning small- to medium-scale conservation projects. It is available in English, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

Award Winner Support:

Winning teams can benefit from additional support once awards have been granted. CLP can provide guidance during the planning and implementation stages and help each team access expertise from within each of the partner organisations and from past winners. A representative from each team will be invited to attend an international training event organised by CLP to share ideas, develop skills and knowledge and network with other conservationists.

Post-project Support:

CLP is committed to the development of the individuals we have supported and we maintain close contact with award winners. The programme has an established alumni network that positions award winners to multiply their impact across the conservation sector. Other professional development opportunities come in the form of CLP Continuation Awards (i.e. Conservation Follow-up and Conservation Leadership Awards), training courses, travel grants, mentoring, and participation in an expanding community where conservation leaders connect to learn, share experience and help each other achieve their professional goals.

CLP Award Criteria:

In 2017 CLP will ONLY accept proposals for projects to be implemented in one of the following 22 countries: Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Oman, South Africa, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. Applications will be accepted from teams initiating projects that meet the eligibility criteria outlined below. These criteria are designed to ensure that the project builds the capacity of all team members involved, contributes to long-term sustainable conservation achievements, has clearly focused research objectives and builds vital links between local communities, conservationists, NGOs, academic institutions and local governments. Applications are evaluated by CLP staff and partners, and by experts from other relevant organisations.

 Instructions for Eligible Applicants:

  • Applications must be submitted online by the deadline 11:59 PM GMT – Monday, 28th November 2016
  • Thoroughly read the Guidelines for Applicants below prior to filling out the application form
  • Applicants must meet each of the criteria outlined in the Guidelines and below
  • The application form must be completed fully by the team leader and must be in English
  • Decisions will be based on the information provided, so answer all questions completely
  • Submit your application online Application website will be active soon. If for some reason you are unable to apply online, contact us before the deadline to explain your situation. We recommend that you complete the off-line MS-word application form and then copy and paste the information into the online application form
  • If you would like feedback from a CLP alumnus, consider contacting an Alumni Ambassador for feedback at least two weeks before the deadline. Information is available on the CLP website
  • If you would like a CLP staff member to review your proposal prior to submission, you must send the completed application form in MS-Word format to [email protected] at least two weeks before the deadline
  • If you have any questions or problems, contact CLP by emailing [email protected] 

The deadline to apply is November 28th, 2016