Deadline: 1-Jul-21
The Woodland Trust is inviting applications for its conservation research programme that addresses issues facing the conservation of the UK’s native woods and trees.
They fund research into practical conservation tools, policy effectiveness and the exploration of economic and social values in relation to the conservation of trees and woods.
Small Research Grants are to award funding:
- For novel applied research relevant to the conservation of UK woods and trees
- For short-term, pilot or proof-of-concept research
- To help under-represented and early-career woodland conservation researchers gain experience in leading applied research projects with a practitioner non-government organisation.
Themes
- Theme 1: Woodland extent, condition and wildlife value
- This theme aims to address and further their knowledge regarding the extent, condition and wildlife value of UK woods and trees. This is crucial to enable us to protect and restore existing native trees and woods, and target woodland creation and expansion.
- Theme 2: Benefits for people (ecosystem services)
- This theme seeks to better understand the benefits of woods and trees for people, including flood risk management, pollination, carbon sequestration and storage, recreation, public health and their cultural, spiritual and intrinsic value.
- Theme 3: Threats and drivers of change
- This theme seeks to better understand the threats and drivers of change affecting UK native woods and trees.
- Theme 4: Restoration, creation and management
- This theme aims to improve and refine practical conservation delivery by focusing on the development of novel, efficient and cost-effective approaches.
Funding Information
- The 2021 Spring Research Grant Call will award Small Research Grant funding of between £5,000 – £20,000 for research projects.
Funding Conditions
- Research outputs must be relevant to the conservation of UK woods and trees.
- Research must address one or more of the four grant research themes.
- Research must aim to address a specific evidence gap and produce tangible outputs within the project timeframe. Applicants are required to consult www.conservationevidence.com to indicate how their project will fill an existing evidence gap.
- Research must be a discrete project, or a discrete part of a larger project.
- Before submitting an application, investigators should discuss any requirements to include access to data or sites belonging to the Woodland Trust with the appropriate member of Woodland Trust staff and receive feasibility approval.
- Small Research Grants will be awarded with a single payment, upon agreement of a research grant contract between the Woodland Trust and project investigators (in agreement with English and Welsh contract law).
- The primary investigator agrees to reporting research outcomes of the project via researchfish®.
- The primary investigator will provide a written final report of the results of the research project to the Woodland Trust within two months of the project end. The final report should contain the results of the research, an outline of how the grant was utilised for the research and details of planned or completed outputs, such as scientific peer-reviewed papers.
- The Woodland Trust contribution must be acknowledged in any publications, outputs or publicity relating to the project.
Eligibility Criteria
- They welcome applications for Small Research Grant funding from individual investigators and project teams with an interest in the conservation of UK woods and trees, who clearly demonstrate an ability to present and produce scientifically credible evidence.
- At least one of the primary or co-investigators must be located at an established research institution (academic or otherwise).
- They value knowledge and skills obtained through either academic or non-academic routes. Evidence for the suitability of the project team to carry out the project may be based on past experience and knowledge. However, they encourage Small Research Grants to be used as a way of building experience and knowledge. In this case, you’ll need to outline in your application how the project will enable the development of members of the project team.
For more information, visit https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/research-and-evidence/conservation-research-grants/