Small Grants

Application window (online form):

Stage I: OPEN. until June 28th, 6pm CET.
Stage II: if your stage I application is successful,  you will will be invited to submit your stage II application in August 2025.

The Small Grant is designed for short (12- to 18-months) and small projects (grants average US$5,000) dedicated to early career scientists (within five years of a degree being awarded). Aimed at original and innovative start-up projects, the grant presents early career scientists, conservationists or educators with an opportunity to prove themselves. It targets local projects conducted by local project leaders. Whether or not the project is part of a larger endeavour, SOSF Small Grants are for specific and finite projects. Only projects concerned with marine chondrichthyan species (sharks, rays, skates, sawfishes and chimaeras) will be considered.

Application process

1. The Small Grant application process consists of a two-stage online application: Stage I involves completing a short online form, equivalent to two pages. Stage II, by invitation only based on the Stage I application, will involve the completion of a longer and more detailed online form, equivalent to a maximum of 10 pages.
2. Funding is awarded for only one financial year. The SOSF will consider small grant applications that, inter alia, aim to undertake the preliminary investigations necessary before a larger, longer-term project can be developed.
3. Successful applicants for small project grants, including scoping projects, can be awarded maximum 2 small grants and are not eligible to submit a Small Grant application the following year. Nevertheless they are not excluded from submitting a Keystone Grant application.
4. Only one application will be accepted from any one applicant.
5. All applications will be reviewed by the SOSF scientific committee and require final approval from the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Here you will access a blank application form with the guidelines included. Please read the guidelines carefully.

You have more questions? please check the funding guidelines page and the grant FAQ page.

To watch our Small Grants information webinar held in June 2024 please click HERE. This provided an overview of the grant application process, gave insight to what the scientific committee is looking for with the questions, and discussed common pitfalls and how to avoid them. This was followed by a Q&A session. Much of the information will also be relevant for Keystone applications.