Deadline: 20 November 2019

Wildlife Conservation Trust-Small Grants for Conservation of Endangered Species and their Habitats (WCT-SG) provides an opportunity to budding and practicing conservationists to pursue their passion of conserving endangered species and their habitats. Through this effort, WCT hopes to draw attention to the lesser-known species that need as much, if not more attention as the tiger, elephant and rhinoceros.

The objective of the WCT Small Grants programme is to encourage and strengthen on-ground nature conservation work in India.

Several organisations and individuals spread all over India are involved in conservation of, or research on endangered species and their habitats. While their efforts are commendable, limited availability of resources restrict such individuals and organisations from asking relevant questions that are critical for the sustenance of natural ecosystems, and those which highlight the challenges faced by innumerable lesser-known species that inhabit our planet.

Funding Information

The maximum grant amount will be INR 5,00,000/- (Rupees five lakh only) per successful application.

Eligible Projects

Projects should focus on conservation of endangered species and/or their habitats in India. The projects can also have a social dimension as WCT recognises that nature awareness, education and sustainable livelihoods for local communities are important for long-term conservation. We will only fund projects that are related to the conservation of endangered species and/or their habitats in India.

Eligibility Criteria

• Grants under WCT-SG are only applicable for Indian citizens and organisations with a valid registration certificate of India operations.
• Applicant needs to hold a minimum of a graduate degree from a recognised university. In case of organisations/educational institutions, this condition will apply to the lead applicant.
• Projects should focus on conservation of endangered species and/or their habitats in India. Projects focusing on species/habitats outside India will not be eligible.
• Projects should be of a minimum duration of six months and a maximum duration of one year.
• Projects may also have a social dimension, as WCT recognises that nature awareness, education and sustainable livelihood options for local communities are important ingredients for long-term conservation action.
• Significant proportion of funds must be used for project activities.
• WCT-SG will not fund any overheads of the organisation.
• The impact of the project must be clear and long-lasting with measurable outcomes that lead to tangible conservation benefits.
• Applicants are encouraged to have other matching grants. This grant may be used in conjunction with other small grants that the project proponent has obtained.
• Two reference letters are to be sent by the referees directly to WCT with the subject line mentioning the complete name of the applicant followed by that of the referee.
• Master’s dissertation work is eligible for WCT-SG.

General Exclusions for Grants

• WCT-SG will not be provided to projects spanning over one year or for on-going projects funded by other agencies.
• WCT-SG will not provide funds for national or international travel for
  • attending conferences/seminars, or
  • carrying out laboratory analysis.
• WCT-SG cannot not be utilised for building permanent infrastructure.
• WCT-SG will not be applicable for undercover/enforcement work.
• WCT-SG cannot be used for expenses related to litigation.

Proposal Format:

• The proposal should be sent with the narrative and budget sections in an editable format such as MS Word and MS Excel. The narrative should contain background, project goals, objectives, a detailed section on methodology (field and analytical), expected results, conservation impact and a separate section on permits.
• The narrative should be properly referenced.
• The budget should provide a detailed breakup of costs along with description.
  • Example 1: Field assistant salary @ INR 200/- per day for 45 days = INR 9,000/-
  • Example 2: Travel – Mumbai to Nagpur @ INR 1500/- per round trip for two round trips = INR 3000/-
• WCT may permit purchase of essential equipment for carrying out fieldwork such as GPS, rangefinder, etc., on case-to-case basis. However, purchase of equipment such as DSLR camera, laptop or vehicle will not be allowed.
• If WCT-SG is going to be used in conjunction with another small grant, please include a budget breakup of how you intend to spend the other grant. The applicant will also have to furnish an NOC from the other grantor.
• WCT expects the project proponents to retain all bills and receipts, and reserves the right to ask for audited accounts or financial statements certified by Chartered Accountants or copies of bills and receipts. This is applicable for both organisations and individuals (See Annexure 2: Fund Utilisation Report).
• Project proponents shall be solely responsible for following the provisions of the Incometax Act, 1961. WCT shall not be held responsible for any action of the project proponent that violates any Indian Law

Reporting:

A quarterly update is a must and a detailed final report should be submitted within 30 days of the completion of the project.

Project proponents are expected to:

• send brief email updates from time to time (with photographs), and
• agree to allow WCT to post the same on its website and social media accounts.

Branding and Acknowledgements:

• Project proponents must acknowledge the funding support received from WCT in all peerreviewed publications, reports, websites, media, etc.
• The WCT logo must be used appropriately on all project reports, posters and collaterals.
• Project proponents shall not portray themselves as part of WCT in any way that is detrimental to or harms the reputation of the organisation.

Permissions: Project proponents are expected to understand all applicable Indian laws and secure permits before the commencement of the project. Any project activity involving entry into protected areas, sample collection or invasive research shall be carried out only after acquiring requisite permits from relevant competent authority/ies.

Underspends/Overspends: Grantees are required to return unspent funds at the end of the project along with a detailed explanation. Overspending by applicants will not be reimbursed by WCT.

Intellectual Property Rights: All intellectual property generated during WCT-SG will remain the property of the concerned individual/organisation to whom the grant has been awarded.

The data collected under WCT-SG will be the property of the grantee. The grantee is free to use the data generated for her/his professional use (including scientific and popular publications). The grantee acknowledges/agrees to share all raw data with WCT. WCT reserves the right to use this data for any of its interventions as and when required in consultation with the grantee. WCT will acknowledge the grantee when such data is used.

All intellectual properties generated will be governed by the laws of the Union of India.

How to Apply

Applicants should send their proposals at the address given on the website.

Eligible Country: India

For more information, please visit https://www.wildlifeconservationtrust.org/our-work/small-grants/