Deadline: 30 April 2020
The Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources invites proposals from journalists or news outlets for reporting projects that cover Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in Canada, with a particular focus on marine areas.
The Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources is looking for ambitious journalistic projects that shed light on this emerging future of conservation, the complicated politics of IPCAs, and how Indigenous communities are leading the way on landscape-level protection.
In 2010, countries from across the globe gathered in Japan at the Convention for Biological Diversity and adopted a strategic plan to protect biodiversity. Comprised of 20 discrete targets (known as the Aichi Targets), this plan set guidelines for the 194 signatories, encouraged each country to set their own specific targets, and make strides toward achieving these goals by 2020.
As one of the signatories, Canada prioritized landscape-level protection. Canada Target 1 outlines: “By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial areas and inland water, and 10% of coastal and marine areas, are conserved through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.” Given the inherent challenges of protection at this scale, it soon became clear that previous approaches alone may not be sufficient. Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, a relatively new inter-governmental approach to conservation that was first initiated in Indigenous communities, show promise for providing an essential pathway to achieving these targets.
Funding Information
- Proposals may be for up to $15,000 (USD).
- Grant money may be spent on any costs incurred for normal reporting activities: travel, lodging, research, etc.
- For individuals: Up to 20% of the grant may be spent on compensation; the total amount spent on compensation may not exceed $2,500.
- For outlets: Up to 50% of the grant may be spent to compensate reporters/photographers/etc. working directly on the project. Grant dollars may not be used as general operating funds.
Criteria
- The Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources will accept proposals from individual journalists as well as news outlets.
- To be considered, freelance journalists MUST include a commitment from an editor/outlet to publish the story upon completion.
- Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous journalists are welcome to apply; IJNR strongly encourage proposals for projects/publications/collaborations led by or including Indigenous journalists.
- Grants must be spent within 18 months of receipt. If not, one of three scenarios will occur:
- Awardee may submit a modified project timeline to IJNR for approval, explaining delay.
- If the reporting project has become unviable, the awardee may pitch an alternate project to be supported with the funds, and IJNR must approve it.
- The awardee returns their grant money to IJNR.
- Award recipients will agree to provide IJNR with a brief progress report at a mutually specified time during the reporting process and a brief final report after publication.
- Stories must in some fashion acknowledge of the support of both IJNR and the Moore Foundation. For example, “”Reporting for this article was made possible by an award from the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.”
- Proposals must focus on Canada’s Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and more specifically on marine initiatives.
- Liability disclaimer: IJNR’s role is solely to provide grants for reporting purposes. Neither IJNR nor the Moore Foundation assume any liability for legal or safety risks undertaken during the course of reporting.
Proposal Requirements
- Brief (100 word) synopsis of proposal.
- Proposal: Please tell about your project, including how it fits within the IPCA focus, why you believe you are well-positioned to cover it, where your reporting will require you to travel, and how you plan to disseminate your completed product (please be specific about which news outlet(s)). Limit answer to 2 pages.
- Budget and Timeline: Please outline the complete project budget. Please give a detailed estimate of the time frame of the project, including targeted completion date. Limit answer to 2 pages.
- Resumé/CV
- Supporting materials:
- If you are a freelance journalist, please include a letter of commitment from an editor.
- If you are an employee of a newsroom applying as an individual, please provide confirmation that your outlet is committed to running this story.
- Letters of reference/recommendation welcome but not required.
For more information, visit http://www.ijnr.org/ipca
