Deadline: 2-Oct-23
Submissions are now being accepted for the Round 12 of the Darwin Plus Fellowship Program to build capacity in the UKOTs through training opportunities for OT nationals or those with a close relationship to a UKOT.
The Fellowship is intended to support Fellows to draw on wider technical and scientific expertise in the fields of biodiversity and the environment to broaden their knowledge and experience. A Fellowship should enable the beneficiary to increase their knowledge and ability to deliver long-term strategic outcomes for the natural environment in the UKOTs.
Darwin Plus Fellowship funding is aimed at building capacity through training and education opportunities for UKOT nationals. For Territories without a permanent resident population, this training is for individuals who are committed to providing support to their chosen Territory and can demonstrate an existing relationship with that Territory.
Objectives of Darwin Plus
- Darwin Plus supports environmental projects in the UKOTs, split across four broad themes. Successful applicants must demonstrate substantial measurable outcomes in at least one of the themes of Darwin Plus either by the end of the project’s implementation or via evidenced mechanisms for postproject delivery. The broad themes of Darwin Plus are:
- Biodiversity: improving and conserving biodiversity, and slowing or reversing biodiversity loss and degradation;
- Climate change: responding to, mitigating and adapting to climate change and its effects on the natural environment and local communities;
- Environmental quality: improving the condition and protection of the natural environment;
- Capability and capacity building: enhancing the capacity within UKOTs to support the environment in the short- and long-term.
Duration
- Darwin Plus Fellowships can last for up to 24 months.
- Start dates can be flexible (to match academic years for example) but Fellowships should not start before 1 April 2023 and must end within 24 months of the start date.
- Be aware that the Darwin Plus financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March and project finances for each year are required to report to these dates.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility of the individual
- Support is available for nationals of UKOTs who are currently working in the UKOTs on environment and climate change issues, or who have previously worked on a Darwin Initiative or Darwin Plus project in an OT. For Territories without a permanent resident population, individuals who can demonstrate an existing relationship with that Territory may be considered.
- Before applying please also check the likelihood of any necessary visas being obtained by the prospective Fellow.
- Project Leader
- The Project Leader for a Fellowship should be the lead individual who will work closely with or supervise the Fellow.
Requirements
- Lead Partner and Project Leader
- Applications must be made by the Lead Partner (an organisation), not an individual, agreeing to the Terms and Conditions including managing the grant, its finances, reporting and governance.
- The Project Leader is the individual with the necessary authority, capability and capacity, and a full understanding of their role and associated obligations to take responsibility for delivering value for money, managing risk and financial controls whilst fulfilling the terms and conditions of the grant.
- The Project Leader and Lead Partner can be based in any country, though they strongly encourage projects to be led by in-territory Lead Partners.
- Partners
- Projects are strengthened through collaboration and partnership as the resources and/or technical capability and capacity to deliver complex environmental projects rarely exist within a single organisation. Additionally, Partners can bring local experience, knowledge and networks to the project, or best practices and lessons learned from elsewhere.
- All Darwin Plus projects are expected to seek in-territory partners, and the meaningful engagement of stakeholders and OT Governments.
- All Darwin Plus applicants are expected to demonstrate meaningful engagement of in-territory partners, stakeholders and OT governments during the development and implementation of projects.
For more information, visit Darwin Plus.