External Funding Opportunities

Photo credit: Erik Lukas / Ocean Image Bank

Submit your funding pathways for ECOPs

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UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO), Portugal and EurOcean Foundation are inviting early career ocean professionals (ECOPs) to apply to the newly launched Mario Ruivo Memorial Lecture Series.

The Memorial Lecture Series pays tribute to the legacy of Professor Mário Ruivo, former Executive Secretary of the IOC-UNESCO, and Portugal’s greatest champion of ocean science and its contribution to sustainable development.

Endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, this initiative intends to stimulate and recognise ECOPs who are contributing in a substantive way to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda – Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 14, ‘Life below water’, and to the vision and mission  of the Ocean Decade.

Professor Mário Ruivo’s inspiring work and lifelong commitment to ocean science and sustainability, and his foundational contributions to the development of the IOC-UNESCO will be honored through the lecture on the winning project that will be given by the distinguished early career ocean professional during the IOC Assembly in June 2023. It will be the first lecture of this new biennial series.

Empowering the new generations of early career ocean professionals and their projects is key to ensure we can co-design and co-deliver “The ocean we want” in the framework of the Ocean Decade.

Submissions of applications are open to projects developed and led by an ECOP up to 40 years of age before 13 February 2023 (submission deadline), as the principal investigator (PI) or as a co-PI.

The Mobility and Travel Grants 2023 is one of a suite of competitive calls under the Our Shared Ocean Programme that will address specific ocean, climate and sustainable blue economy related challenges faced by SIDS; support the building of scientific and technical capacity to address such challenges; and promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise between Irish institutions and their counterparts in SIDS to underpin longer-term cooperation.

This initiative is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs though Ireland’s development cooperation programme, Irish Aid, administered and managed by the Marine Institute on behalf of Irish Aid/DFA.

Award Categories:
Grant support is provided in the following categories:
1.    Research Conferences and Workshops – Minimum grant-aid €500 and maximum grant-aid €2,000.
2.    Training Courses – Minimum grant-aid €500 and maximum grant-aid €2,000.
3.    Research Visits – Maximum grant-aid available €6,000.

Deadlines throughout the year. 

The scholarships will support post-graduate students from developing countries, for research that advances the understanding of the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

The scholarship provides a four-year fully-funded studentship which covers the course fee, and a tax-free stipend equal to the UKRI minimum stipend, which is £17,668 in 2022-23. There will be an increase each year. In addition there is a research and training support grant of £8000 to help cover the cost of lab consumables, fieldwork, training courses, travel and costs associated with conferences, etc.

The list of eligible countries for applicants to be ordinary residence of are here.

National Geographic offers grant opportunities at various entry points to provide a dynamic pathway to join and engage with the NG community.

Whether you are an aspiring Explorer or already a luminary in the field, each opportunity has unique criteria and benefits to ensure that our Explorers receive support and funding aligned to their specific needs and goals. Each year, a small number of grants are awarded to individuals who are just beginning their National Geographic journey, as well as those who are working on more advanced projects.

The National Geographic Society warmly welcomes and encourages applicants from historically and currently underrepresented and underserved populations to apply. National Geographic is committed to funding a diverse and globally representative cohort of Explorers. The National Geographic Society does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious creed, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, or handicap.

The ARA is excited to announce a funding opportunity for action and research entities to collaborate in order to unearth knowledge, ideas and opportunities for climate change adaptation in the Global South.

This funding opportunity is open to:

  • ‘action’ entities, such as NGOs, cooperatives, governments or organisations facing burning climate change issues affecting local communities, and

  • research institutions that can help respond to the most pressing needs of those affected by climate change in their local communities.

  • The total grant amount will be 15,000.00 GBP, with an application due date of December 12th 2022. Both new applicants, who have never applied to the ARA Micro-grants, and applicants and grantees from the ARA’s Micro-grants Round 1 may apply.

Search or sign up to the Research Funding Database to learn about the latest research grants, scholarships, fellowships, travel grants, awards & prizes, science communication and more.

The Marine Scholarship of China for 2023 will be open for applications from November 10, 2022, to February 15, 2023 (with all the online procedures completed).

The Marine Scholarship of China is jointly initiated by the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) and the Ministry of Education of China (MOE) for the purpose of providing financial support to outstanding students from the coastal countries or regions around the South China Sea, the Pacific and the Indian Oceans and African developing countries to study in China for a master’s or doctoral degree in oceanography or other related specialties, cultivating advanced professionals of the related fields for developing countries, enhancing international marine cooperation and exchange, and promoting the harmonious ocean development in the region and around the world. China Scholarship Council (CSC) is in charge of the admissions and routine management of the Scholarship.

Deadline: 15 February

Take the guesswork out of your grant work. Prospect, track and manage everything grants in one place.  Founded in 2014, Instrumentl was built to help fundraisers make the best use of their valuable time and energy. We make the grant process faster, easier, and more efficient, so you can do what you do best: make a positive impact. We’re headquartered in San Francisco, and thanks to the thousands of nonprofits and academic institutions that use us to find their funding, there’s a little part of Instrumentl in every US state and country around the world.

The High-Seas Alliance and the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative are pleased to offer limited grants for deep sea scientists to attend key meetings, conferences, workshops and events.  

Funding is open to all scientists and social scientists that are members of the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) network [sign up here]. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged. 

Please review the application and grant guidelines before submission of application. To apply, please fill out and submit the application form, including the budget template provided.  

Applications must be submitted 60 days in advance of the meeting, conference, workshop or event. The Grant Review Committee will respond 40 days in advance of the meeting via email.

These grants are made available from November 1, 2021 – December 31, 2022.

WildTeam provides online training courses that lead to professional certification in key wildlife conservation subjects, to help conservationists increase their impact.  They want to make our training as accessible and inclusive as possible. The environment sector is one of the least ethnically diverse sectors in the UK, (as outlined in Wildlife and Countryside Link’s Ethnic Diversity Route Map).

To help with this, WildTeam has recently received funding to provide a limited number of full bursaries specifically for UK-based wildlife conservationists who identify as Black, Asian or from other minority ethnic groups who may otherwise not be able to afford our training courses.  Visit their website for more information on our training courses and to apply for a bursary please complete this form.

WildTeam will also have other full and partial bursaries available for training courses in 2023, which will be open to anyone to apply for.

Applications are currently being accepted by invitation only.

If you’d like an invitation to apply for funding, start by joining the SOAlliance online community and introducing yourself and your work.

Grantees will be invited to participate in additional capacity building resources through webinars,  the Ocean Leadership Deep Dive online training, and 1:1 mentorship.

Join the SOAlliance mailing list to be notified when future calls for applications are posted.

The existing collaboration between the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha(NMU) and the Carl-von-Ossietzky University in Oldenburg (UOL) has over the last five years been extended to a close collaboration between the marine sciences at both locations. This has been directly facilitated through the Institute for Coastal and Marine Research (CMR) and the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB).

This cooperation is now being expanded to include another component – a bilateral exchange program in the marine sciences, covering travel and living allowances for outgoing students plus additional scholarships for incoming students from NMU, funded by the EXC2 program of the Ministry of Science and Culture of the German State of Lower Saxony. Family allowance to bring dependent children and partners can be requested, too.

Register now for the following IOI Ocean Academy courses organised by partners in Egypt, Turkey, Black & Mediterranean Seas, South Africa, Maldives.

Participation is free of charge for interested applicants and the 20hr modules are offered ONLINE.

Visit the IOI Ocean Academy dedicated webpage for more information or to register your interest for other courses.

Since the establishment of the Green Entrepreneurship Global Foundation , it has been committed to supporting the development of the world’s environmental protection industry by sponsoring environmental entrepreneurship projects.In order to promote sustainable solutions to world environmental problems.  Faced with increasingly serious environmental pollution problems and a shortage of natural resources, the Green Entrepreneurship Global Foundation, committed to provide more opportunities to youth entrepreneurship who care and love the environment,and take concrete actions to promote the orderly development of the world.

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