Call for Proposals: Grants in Biodiversity Program
Deadline: 01-December-2025
The Grants in Biodiversity (GIB) Program provides support to research in biodiversity, conservation biology, ecology, and related social science approaches that ultimately aim to conserve, protect and enhance Alberta’s wildlife, fish, and natural habitats.
While there is no strict funding limit, requests exceeding CAD 20,000 require special justification. On average, awards are approximately CAD 11,000.
Funds are typically disbursed in a single payment, which may take until mid-summer following the agreement process. Each grant runs for two years, beginning April 1 of the award year and supporting activities until March 31 two years later.
Funding is available for research in biodiversity, conservation biology, ecology, and related social science approaches connected to Alberta’s flora, fauna, and habitats. The research must have real-world applications, linking experimental or theoretical work to natural systems.
Eligible expenses include direct research costs such as travel within Alberta, research supplies, assistants, and stipends. Conference travel may also be considered if it involves presenting ACA-funded research. The grants do not cover overhead costs or travel outside Alberta, except in limited cases for conferences.
The ACA Grants in Biodiversity Program is open to master’s and Ph.D. students from any accredited university worldwide, as long as their research is conducted in Alberta. Each student may submit only one project per year and receive one award per degree. Preference is given to early-stage graduate students—master’s within two years and Ph.D. candidates within three years.
The ACA Grants in Biodiversity do not support postdoctoral fellows, students beyond the third year of a master’s or fourth year of a Ph.D. program, supervisor-written proposals, or applicants previously funded by ACA for the same or related research. Only new degree programs with entirely distinct projects from past ACA-funded work are eligible.
Students awaiting program admission may apply if supported by a supervisor’s verification letter, with proof of acceptance required by the deadline. For multi-province studies, only the Alberta-based portion qualifies for funding.
Although field research is most common, projects in genetics, social science, and lab-based studies are also considered. Applications must be written by students themselves, with supervisor guidance permitted, and the recipient’s university must sign the ACA Cooperative Project Agreement.
However, recipients must make both project results and raw data publicly available within 48 months of the funding end date unless otherwise agreed. Failure to do so transfers ownership of the data to ACA, which will then make it publicly accessible.
Applicants are urged to carefully review the ACA mission and values to ensure their proposal aligns with Alberta’s conservation priorities. The application process requires completion of Part A and Part B by the deadline, adherence to formatting guidelines, and submission via email in acceptable file size limits. Supervisors should only advise on, not author, the application.
The deadline for the 2026 competition is Monday, December 1, 2025, with results announced by early April 2026. Funded projects will take place between April 1, 2026, and March 31, 2028.
For more information, visit ACA.