Conservation Fellowship

At the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF), we have a strong history of supporting marine conservation and education projects. We appreciate, however, that to truly transform knowledge into effective, meaningful change, we also need to support the people making that change. In particular, we recognise that it can be especially difficult for dedicated individuals making the commitment to shark and ray conservation to also sustain themselves. This is especially so for researchers from regions that may have fewer resources and opportunities than others.

As such, we are pleased to introduce a new grant opportunity: the SOSF Conservation Fellowship. This is intended to provide financial support to individuals working on shark and ray conservation projects to help retain and develop their expertise within the field. These funds are intended to be used to cover the living costs of the grantee, not any project costs. For each fellowship, the amount awarded will be USD 8,000 per year over two years. Fellowships will be available to previous SOSF grantees from developing regions, with three fellowships awarded every two years, one for each of central/south America, Africa, and Asia.

Eligibility

• Conservation Fellowships will be available to previous SOSF grantees (small or keystone) who meet the following criteria:
• Living and working in a developing country, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) [list here]
• Received their SOSF grant less than five years before submitting an application for the Conservation Fellowship
• Actively working on a shark or ray conservation project in their region

Application Process

Applications will be made via submission of a 1–2-page pitch document, along with the candidate’s CV and two letters of recommendation. The pitch document will need to describe how the fellowship will help the applicant develop, the project(s) they intend to pursue/continue, and how receiving this support will help them progress shark and ray conservation in their region. Specifically, the candidates will need to outline their conservation experience and capability, demonstrate their effectiveness and leadership, and clearly describe why this support is needed to further their conservation work. Shortlisted applicants will then be interviewed.