Deadline: 20 March 2020
The Center for Applied Research and People’s Engagement (CARPE) is seeking applications for its Prakriti Research Fellowship.
The Prakriti Research Fellowship is a product of their research in the sector of ecological restoration that demonstrated that CSR investment and partnerships remain relatively unexplored for impactful research and action for nature conservation.
The Prakriti Research Fellowship is a small grants program focused on creating direct, tangible, long-term impact on nature conservation in India. CARPE and the founders of the Prakriti Research Fellowship are deeply committed to liaison with industry partners and individual sponsors to boost nature conservation efforts in India.
Objectives
- To provide timely support for strengthening on-ground action-oriented nature conservation projects.
- To support independent researchers, teams, and small NGOs who are dedicatedly working in this field.
Categories
Applications are invited under two categories which are based on the geographical location of the projects, while the themes are the same for both the categories
- Category 1: Projects located in Aurangabad division of Maharashtra (which includes Aurangabad, Nanded, Beed, Jalna, Latur, Hingoli, Parbhani and Osmanabad districts).
- Category 2: Projects located across India,except Aurangabad division.
Themes
Themes are the same for both category one and category two:
- Conservation of important habitats (e.g. UNESCO Natural World heritage sites, Protected Areas – National parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves, Community Reserves, Marine Protected Areas, Biosphere reserves, threatened and neglected habitats such as grasslands and freshwater systems).
- Conservation of Threatened Species (Wildlife Protection Act Schedule 1 species)(IUCN Red list categories: CR, EN, VU, NT, Data deficient). While the IUCN Red list will be their primary reference to check for threat status of a species, CARPE may consider proposals on data deficient species not yet evaluated by IUCN. In such cases, one needs to provide a strong justification for choosing this species, and provide other threat assessments by local bodies or Botanical Survey of India (BSI) /Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) if available.
- Research and action in Urban Ecology- Most Indian cities are facing an environmental and ecological crisis of various scales and dimensions. Under this theme CARPE is looking for projects in the urban or peri-urban sector which would fill knowledge gaps in the present understanding of urban biodiversity, ecosystem services, urban wildlife habitats, air and water pollution, or awareness projects on urban ecology or demonstrate workable solutions for the same. Projects in agro-ecology based around urban areas are welcome too, as long as they demonstrate a direct link to nature conservation.
Funding Information
- Maximum of ₹ 2 lakh per project.
- Project duration: Maximum of one year.
What projects will be funded?
- CARPE is looking for projects with clear achievable objectives bringing about tangible on-ground conservation action and research. The proposal should fit well in the given themes. Most importantly, the impacts of the project should be measurable.
- For Category 1, projects based in Aurangabad division only will be funded
- For Category 2, projects across India based on the given themes will be funded, Except Aurangabad Division.
What projects may be funded?
- Proposals for tangible on-ground conservation action on above listed themes will be given priority. However, pure research proposals shown to have direct relevance towards taking informed decisions for conservation of a threatened species or habitat will be considered as long as the project fits well in any of the given themes.
- MSc dissertation and PhD work will usually not be funded, unless they demonstrate conservation action, which is the focus of this fellowship.
What projects will not be funded?
- No litigation/activism will be funded.
- Participation for conferences, workshops, and expeditions will not be funded.
Eligibility Criteria
- CARPE is looking for applications from independent researchers and small NGOs, especially self-motivated, passionate researchers and small conservation groups.
- The applicant must be an Indian national.
- Applicant can only apply for funding for a single project in one call for proposal. If rejected, a new application can be submitted in the following call.
- One candidate/organization can apply for one fellowship only.
- A fellow who has applied earlier can not re-apply.
For more information, visit http://www.carpeindia.org/prakriti.html