Deadline: 31-Oct-22

The African Bird Club (ABC) is inviting nominations for its Conservation Award and Expedition Award.

ABC’s long-running Awards Programme supports a wide range of small to medium-sized projects in African countries, which benefit the conservation of birds and their habitats, with funds raised from donations and corporate sponsorships.

The Awards Programme is managed by an independent Conservation Committee, who peer-review project proposals submitted to them and provide recommendations to ABC’s trustees as to whether these are suitable for funding.

Focus Areas

ABC cannot fund every application it receives and has to target high-priority projects. You should include:

• For species-based projects, the IUCN conservation status of the species involved.
• For site-based projects, a description of the habitat types, current threats and whether the area has any designation such as that of a protected area or Important Bird Area.
• How the proposed project will benefit the species, or the area in which it is found.
• A description of any training or skills transfer involved in the project.
• For education projects, what the benefits of the proposed project will be.
• For Expedition Awards, reference to any relevant published action plans, e.g. reserve management plans, biodiversity action plans, etc.

Categories

• ABC Conservation Awards
• ABC Expedition Awards

Funding Information

• ABC Conservation Awards– Conservation Awards of up to £3,000 each may be made to individuals who are normally resident in an African country or to institutions based there. Around 15 such awards are made every year by ABC.
• ABC Expedition Awards– Expedition Awards of up to £5,000 each may be made for larger, more ambitious projects outside the applicant’s home country.

Eligible Projects

Many different types of projects can be considered for support so long as there is a clear conservation objective, including:

• Surveys and monitoring of birds and their habitats
• Education projects or training courses
• Production of guides to the birds of an area in local languages
• Support for local bird clubs
• Raising awareness of conservation issues

Eligibility Criteria

• An applicant may only submit a single project proposal for a Conservation Award or an Expedition Award in any funding round. You may not apply for both at the same time.
• Conservation Awards: Granted to individuals who are normally resident in an African country or to institutions based there. Around 15 such awards are made every year by ABC.
• Expedition Awards
• The expedition must also be associated with a bona fide academic institution, conservation NGO or recognised natural history or bird club, and be able to demonstrate prior approval from the government of the host country.
• In addition:
  • The expedition’s objectives should preferably be derived from any of the publications identifying international conservation priorities, such as the IUCN Red List and IBA inventories or directories.
  • If an expedition originates from outside the ABC region, it must include substantial local participation from local NGOs such as BirdLife Partners, bird clubs, academic institutions, or relevant government agencies.
  • Salaries of local counterparts can be supported but those of professional researchers or academics will not be.

For more information, visit https://www.africanbirdclub.org/apply-for-an-award/