Deadline: 11-Oct-22

Applications are now open for the Rockstart Program- Energy.

The Rockstart programs are domain-focused, tailor-made programs designed to rapidly take your business from MVP to investment-ready.

They fund and empower founders building scalable innovations leveraging emerging technologies and new business models, which are key to slowing down the pace of climate change.

Focus Areas

• They invest in early-stage startups focused on driving the energy transition.
• They shortcut your scaling journey through domain focused content and mentorship, market introductions and co-investments up to Series B.
• They are especially interested in startups innovating in
  • Renewable energy generation
  • energy storage
  • smart-grid
  • Energy efficiency
  • Smart mobility
  • Decentralized energy systems

Details

• Renewable energy generation: They look for solutions that integrate, utilize and optimize the renewable energy supply to ensure a sustainable energy infrastructure.
• Low carbon solutions: Their planet needs businesses that tackle energy-intensive sectors and help market players get closer to net zero.
• Mobility: Their look to invest in solutions that create value from the increasing mobility data to unlock transport electrification opportunities and help cities become smarter.

Why should you join Rockstart?

• If your team is dedicated to turning your startup into a high-growth company that drives positive change, Rockstart is a radical partner to propel your startup forward. In short, they have the capital to fund up to € 2 million in your startup (up to series B), and even more important: They help address the most difficult challenges that your startup faces from a strategic, commercial, and operational
• Perspective. From experience, they know that most startups face challenges in several key areas when launching their product on the market and trying to grow:
• Defining the right pricing model. Is your product too expensive or are you charging too little? In their experience, most startups begin modestly, resulting in prices that are too low rather than too high.
• Moving from pilots to recurring customers. These days it’s not too difficult to get a corporate/company to commit to making a budget available for a pilot, but turning that pilot into a full scale implementation is a challenge, takes time, and can often lead nowhere.
• Identifying the ideal market segment(s) for your product. You have one customer in a specific segment of the market, but your product could also fit multiple other segments.
• These are just a few examples of the type of questions that Rockstart helps its portfolio companies with, and they do this in three ways.

Eligibility Criteria

Rockstart is based in Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Bogota. Known for its entrepreneurial climate and open lifestyle, Rockstart is the place for any startup to grow internationally. Hosting startups in person helps them to ensure a soft landing for your startup in a new market and for you to get the best out of their network. You do not have to relocate for your respective program after you have been selected for a Rockstart investment. While designing the specific program, they aim to be as founder-friendly as possible. For the time being, all programs are run remotely until COVID-19 restrictions allow for worldwide travel again. After, they will find the best mix of in-person events and remote content.

For more information, visit https://rockstart.com/energy/

Deadline: 11-Oct-22

Applications are now open for the Rockstart Program- Energy.

The Rockstart programs are domain-focused, tailor-made programs designed to rapidly take your business from MVP to investment-ready.

They fund and empower founders building scalable innovations leveraging emerging technologies and new business models, which are key to slowing down the pace of climate change.

Focus Areas

• They invest in early-stage startups focused on driving the energy transition.
• They shortcut your scaling journey through domain focused content and mentorship, market introductions and co-investments up to Series B.
• They are especially interested in startups innovating in
  • Renewable energy generation
  • energy storage
  • smart-grid
  • Energy efficiency
  • Smart mobility
  • Decentralized energy systems

Details

• Renewable energy generation: They look for solutions that integrate, utilize and optimize the renewable energy supply to ensure a sustainable energy infrastructure.
• Low carbon solutions: Their planet needs businesses that tackle energy-intensive sectors and help market players get closer to net zero.
• Mobility: Their look to invest in solutions that create value from the increasing mobility data to unlock transport electrification opportunities and help cities become smarter.

Why should you join Rockstart?

• If your team is dedicated to turning your startup into a high-growth company that drives positive change, Rockstart is a radical partner to propel your startup forward. In short, they have the capital to fund up to € 2 million in your startup (up to series B), and even more important: They help address the most difficult challenges that your startup faces from a strategic, commercial, and operational
• Perspective. From experience, they know that most startups face challenges in several key areas when launching their product on the market and trying to grow:
• Defining the right pricing model. Is your product too expensive or are you charging too little? In their experience, most startups begin modestly, resulting in prices that are too low rather than too high.
• Moving from pilots to recurring customers. These days it’s not too difficult to get a corporate/company to commit to making a budget available for a pilot, but turning that pilot into a full scale implementation is a challenge, takes time, and can often lead nowhere.
• Identifying the ideal market segment(s) for your product. You have one customer in a specific segment of the market, but your product could also fit multiple other segments.
• These are just a few examples of the type of questions that Rockstart helps its portfolio companies with, and they do this in three ways.

Eligibility Criteria

Rockstart is based in Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Bogota. Known for its entrepreneurial climate and open lifestyle, Rockstart is the place for any startup to grow internationally. Hosting startups in person helps them to ensure a soft landing for your startup in a new market and for you to get the best out of their network. You do not have to relocate for your respective program after you have been selected for a Rockstart investment. While designing the specific program, they aim to be as founder-friendly as possible. For the time being, all programs are run remotely until COVID-19 restrictions allow for worldwide travel again. After, they will find the best mix of in-person events and remote content.

For more information, visit https://rockstart.com/energy/

Deadline: 21-Aug-22

The African Union’s International Center for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (African Union CIEFFA) is accepting applications for Youth Capacity Building Workshop.

Through the YCB program participants gain access to a community of successful female and male role models and mentors who are movers and shakers within their communities of influence.

Participants also connect to the AU/CIEFFA’s network of partners who offer a diverse range of opportunities that assist in their selfdevelopment and the development and sustainability of their community initiatives or social businesses.

The annual Youth Capacity Building Workshop focuses on skills building in areas of advocacy and policy literacy among other skills.

The program also offers participants the opportunity to learn and get updated on new knowledge and information at policy and practice levels within the continent that affect women’s socio-economic development and education, and extends to existing legal frameworks in support of gender equality in education in Africa; the education and training, as well as gender and youth-related strategic frameworks.

Benefits

• Fully funded trip to the three (3) day workshop (Economy tickets and accommodation);
• DSA for the duration of the workshop to cover dinners;
• Access to a network of over 240 girls’ and women’s education (GWE) youth champions in Africa;

Eligibility Criteria

• Be an African youth aged between 23 – 33 years of age;
• Be able to demonstrate the following: leadership abilities and aspirations; a commitment to the promotion of girls’ and women’s education;
• Have a clear understanding of one or both of the workshops’ languages; English or French;
• Hold a valid African passport (Passport must be valid by the 1st of June 2023);
• Applications from African youth holding valid African passports but residing outside of Africa are also accepted.

For more information, visit https://cieffa.au.int/en/5th-youth-capacity-building-workshop

Deadline: 21-Aug-22

The African Union’s International Center for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (African Union CIEFFA) is accepting applications for Youth Capacity Building Workshop.

Through the YCB program participants gain access to a community of successful female and male role models and mentors who are movers and shakers within their communities of influence.

Participants also connect to the AU/CIEFFA’s network of partners who offer a diverse range of opportunities that assist in their selfdevelopment and the development and sustainability of their community initiatives or social businesses.

The annual Youth Capacity Building Workshop focuses on skills building in areas of advocacy and policy literacy among other skills.

The program also offers participants the opportunity to learn and get updated on new knowledge and information at policy and practice levels within the continent that affect women’s socio-economic development and education, and extends to existing legal frameworks in support of gender equality in education in Africa; the education and training, as well as gender and youth-related strategic frameworks.

Benefits

• Fully funded trip to the three (3) day workshop (Economy tickets and accommodation);
• DSA for the duration of the workshop to cover dinners;
• Access to a network of over 240 girls’ and women’s education (GWE) youth champions in Africa;

Eligibility Criteria

• Be an African youth aged between 23 – 33 years of age;
• Be able to demonstrate the following: leadership abilities and aspirations; a commitment to the promotion of girls’ and women’s education;
• Have a clear understanding of one or both of the workshops’ languages; English or French;
• Hold a valid African passport (Passport must be valid by the 1st of June 2023);
• Applications from African youth holding valid African passports but residing outside of Africa are also accepted.

For more information, visit https://cieffa.au.int/en/5th-youth-capacity-building-workshop

Deadline: 10-Aug-22

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is offering and exciting opportunity for youth involvement in international science-policy collaboration!

The workshop aims to strengthen the engagement of young people in the work of IPBES, and to support the uptake of assessments among young people, other individuals and organizations. Participants will also be invited, in collaboration with the task force on scenarios and models, to explore possible nature futures and to contribute to the work on scenarios and models.

Benefit

• Support for travel, meals, and accommodation will be provided to all participants by the Governments of Germany and Norway.

Eligibility Criteria

The youth workshop will bring together 25 participants, with five participants from each of the UN regions (Africa, Asia and Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Western Europe and others).

Successful candidates need to:

• Be between 18-30 years of age;
• Be actively engaged in relevant work on biodiversity and ecosystem services, including in work relevant to the two reports approved by IPBES 9 (values assessment, and sustainable use of wild species assessment);
• Be nominated by a government or an organization/network with a letter of recommendation in support of the nomination;
• Be committed to participate in person in the youth workshop.  Participants are expected to actively contribute to the workshop and to report on its outcome and on the work of IPBES to their home institutions and other relevant organizations;
• Have very good speaking, reading and writing skills in English as the workshop will be held in English;
• Have demonstrated ability to respectfully interact with people from other disciplines and work effectively and efficiently in a multicultural team.

Selection Process

• Suitable candidates are selected by the management committee of the IPBES capacity-building task force, based on the above-mentioned criteria with a view to achieving disciplinary, gender and geographic balance. All candidates will be notified of the results via email by the technical support unit on capacity-building.

For more information, visit https://ipbes.net/ipbes-youth-workshop-2022

Deadline: 1-Oct-22

The Camargo Foundation’s Fellowship is now open for applications to support groundbreaking research, experimentation, and interdisciplinary approaches in the Arts and Humanities.

Categories

• Scholars
  • Scholars should be connected to the Arts and Humanities working on French and Francophone cultures, or cross-cultural studies that engage the cultures and influences of the Mediterranean region. To be eligible for a fellowship in the “Scholars” category, applicants are expected either to hold a PhD and a record of post-doctoral scholarship, or to be PhD candidates completing the final stages of research for, or writing of, their dissertation.
• Thinkers
  • Thinkers include accomplished professionals and practitioners in cultural and creative fields (such as curators, journalists, critics, urban planners, independent scholars, etc.) who are professionally engaged in critical thought. They are interested in work attuned to the theoretical arena, the arts, and society.
• Artists
  • Artists should keep in mind that the Camargo Fellowship is a research-based residency. Applicants should have had a practice for, at a minimum, the previous 5 years. They should be the primary creators of new work or a new project. They should be able to demonstrate a track record of publications, public performances and exhibitions, credits, awards, and/or grants.

Funding Information

• A stipend of EUR 350 per week is provided (EUR 3500 for the entire duration of the residency), as is funding for basic transportation to and from Cassis per Fellow.
• 14 fellowships per year (7 artists and 7 scholars & thinkers)
• Duration: The Camargo Fellowship consists of fellowship residencies that span a period of 10 weeks.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Camargo Foundation is committed to supporting inclusiveness and a diversity of contemporary reflections and practices, welcoming applicants from around the globe. The Camargo Fellowship offers research-based residencies to applicants from various fields and disciplines. Three main categories are available, as well as several subcategories for artists’ applications.
• They are interested in artists who have a fully developed, mature artistic voice. Applicants may include artists who are engaged in critical thought and research oriented projects. When applying, artists will have to identify among the following subcategories: Visual Artists / Choreographers, Theater Directors, and Performance Artists / Writers and Playwrights / Film, Video and Digital Artists / Composers and Sound Artists / Multidisciplinary Artists.
• Collaborative projects
  • Teams of up to three individuals are welcome to apply, including but not limited to interdisciplinary collaborative projects. One stipend and one travel grant are awarded to each member of the team, and one multi-bedroom apartment is assigned to the entire team. Collaborative teams must provide application materials for all members of the team, including CVs and work samples. A maximum of 2 collaborative projects per application cycle can be selected.
• Translation projects
  • Professional translators are eligible to apply. Academic translators who meet the eligibility requirements for Scholars can apply under the Scholar category. Literary translators with a theoretical or research-oriented project are encouraged to apply under the Thinker category. Translators who frame their practice as creative writing can apply under the Writer category. Applicants are welcome to choose the category they prefer according to their specific project and profile.

For more information, visit https://camargofoundation.org/programs/camargo-fellowship/

Deadline: 21-Aug-22

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Center (RLC) is now accepting applications for the West Africa Emerging Leaders Program.

What They Offer             

• Business and Entrepreneurship
  • This track caters to the range of emerging or aspiring entrepreneurs who expect to take on leadership roles within the private sector or build their own business ventures on the continent.
• Civil Society Management
  • This track is oriented to those who are or aspire to be civically engaged and serve the public through non-governmental organizations, community based organizations, or volunteerism.
• Public Policy and Management
  • This track is tailored to those who work or aspire to work in any level of government (including elected positions), regional organizations such as the African Union or the West Africa Community, international organizations such as the United Nations, or other publicly minded organizations or think tanks

Reasons to Apply to the YALI Accra RLC

• At the end of the program participants will be awarded with certificates and become members of the YALI Alumni
• Participants will be taken through various forms of leadership training to prepare them for leadership roles in their various endeavors.

Applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, gender, religion, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The management of the YALI Regional Leadership Center, West Africa – Accra reserves the right to verify all information provided in the application.

Eligibility Criteria

• Admission to the YALI Regional Leadership Center, West Africa – Accra is merit-based and open to young West African leaders who meet the following criteria:
  • Are 18 to 35 years of age at the time of application submission
  • Are citizens and residents of one of the following countries: Togo, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Cameroon and Sierra Leone
  • Are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.
  • Are eligible to receive any necessary visa to Ghana
  • Are proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English

Criteria

• Selection for participation in the YALI Regional Leadership Center West Africa will be conducted as a merit-based, open competition. All eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection panel. Chosen semi-finalists will then be interviewed before a final selection is made and an invitation to join the program is issued.
• Selection panels will use the following criteria to evaluate applications:
  • Demonstrated leadership in public service, business and entrepreneurship, or civic engagement.
  • Active engagement in public or community service, volunteerism, or mentorship.
  • The ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups and respect the opinions of others.
  • Strong social and communication skills.
  • An energetic, positive attitude.
  • A demonstrated knowledge, interest, and professional experience in the sector/track selected, and
  • A commitment to apply leadership skills and training to benefit your country and/or community after the program.
  • Applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, gender, religion, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

For more information, visit http://yaliwestafrica.net/rlc/index.php/registernowopen/

Deadline: 3-Oct-22

The Fondation Segré Conservation Action Fund is now open for applications to enable and support Civil Society Organizations engaged in the conservation of Endangered (EN) or Critically Endangered (CR) Lizards, Snakes and Worm Lizards (Amphisbaenians) to carry out conservation projects that can apply sustainable conservation measures to protect these species, their habitats and to improve the livelihoods of the people who depend on them.

Thematic focus

• The latest Global Reptile Assessment published on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM, revealed that more than one in five of the world’s reptiles are threatened with extinction.
• To echo the need to ramp up global efforts to conserve them, this year’s Call for Proposals support s specifically the conservation of Endangered (EN) and Critically Endangered (CR) squamates (Squamata) – collectively known as “scaled reptiles” – the largest order of reptiles and most diverse of all the reptile groups.

Funding Information

• The Fund provides two types of small grants:
  • Conservation Action Grants (maximum EUR 50,000) the objective of these grants is to enable and support CSOs engaged in the conservation of threatened animal species to carry out sustainable conservation measures at local level to protect the species, their habitats and to improve the livelihoods of the people who depend on them.
  • Research Support Grants (maximum EUR 7,000) the objective of these grants is to support young and early scientists in their research to improve knowledge on threatened species and their role in natural ecosystems. These grants intend to provide budding researchers (enrolled in a curriculum) the opportunity to mature into seasoned conservationists, while benefitting the conservation and management of threatened animal species.
  • The maximum duration of the project should be 12 months. The start date of the project will be determined by the date of the signature of the grant agreement.

Eligible Activities

• Projects must implement concrete conservation activities on the ground. v. Research activities can be eligible within the framework of Conservation Action Grants as long as the proposal supports tangible conservation actions on-the-ground, using the results of the research within the timeframe of the project (pure research projects are not eligible). For example, proposal of a practical management plan or new policy, or new protected area design, new natural resources management plan, in vivo pilot site activities implementing the results of the research with new management or improved or adapted conservation actions.
• Applications that address illegal wildlife trade and that include a component engaging indigenous peoples or local communities should include clear thinking on the “theory of change” or logical sequence that is likely to lead to a reduction in poaching for the illegal wildlife trade, with attention to the underlying incentives facing community members and how the project intervention changes these. Where this is not known, the proposal should explain how this understanding will be increased in order to formulate such a theory of change.

Eligibility criteria

• In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant and co-applicants must be:
  • A legal person and;
  • Be non-profit-making and;
  • Be a local or national civil society organization (CSOs3
  • A local or an international nongovernmental organization (NGOs);
  • Project s presented by local and national CSOs including indigenous organizations (community-based organizations) will be favorably considered. International NGOs applying will be required to work closely with national stakeholders, local communities and with the consent and all required authorizations from the government. If international NGOs apply, overseas costs (indirect costs, salaries and international travel) will have to be minimal and justification for their need provided. In the case of international NGOs having a legally registered office in the country where the project is implemented, SOS will privilege the signature of a grant agreement and direct transfer of funds to their local registered office.
  • Working with governments is encouraged although governments and government-affiliated entities are not eligible to receive grants directly. The costs of travel for government bodies (for example for attending a workshop) can be funded if they are directly linked to the project;
  • Be directly responsible for the preparation and implementation of the grant project .
• Applications submitted by a body acting as an intermediary for a third party are not eligible;
  • Have a bank account in the name of the organization;
  • Be authorized under relevant national laws to receive charitable contributions, including from sources outside their respective countries.
  • In line with the Fund’s objective, target beneficiaries are primarily local non-profit organisations;
  • The lead partner may act individually or with co-applicant(s). If awarded a grant, the lead partner will become the beneficiary identified as the “Grantee” in the grant contract. The Grantee is the main interlocutor of the IUCN Save their Species Secretariat. The Grantee represents, and acts on behalf of any other co-applicant (if any) and coordinates the design and implementation of the action. The Grantee will bear full responsibility for the technical and financial implementation of the project.

For more information, visit https://speciesgrants.iucn.org/

Deadline: 15-Aug-22

The Information Futures Lab is seeking applications for its Information Futures Fellowship, a novel opportunity for practitioners in public health, healthcare, community organizations, media, policy, design, and other fields who are actively working on responses to the ongoing information crisis.

The six-month fellowship provides these practitioners with the resources, time, research partners, training and peer network to develop new ideas, evaluate existing programs or design and test novel interventions.

Funding Information

• A salary of $35,000 for the six-month fellowship period is available for fellows. If an employer keeps the fellow on salary during the fellowship because the project benefits the organization, a fellowship stipend will not be provided; That unused stipend will then be extended to an additional fellow who will join the cohort.
• All fellows are eligible for project/program support of up to $10,000 and travel expenses of up to $2,000 (domestic) and $5,000 (international). In addition, projects are eligible for an honorarium of up to $5,000 to compensate thought partners and collaborators.

Why an Information Futures Fellowship?

The Information Futures Fellowship is built to empower practitioners who lead investigations into any aspect of these intersecting information challenges and how they can be addressed — to start building a better future for their information spaces, habits, institutions and culture. As leaders in their fields and communities, those on the front lines are most familiar with concrete information challenges and closest to potential solutions. The Fellowship provides access to skill sets and research expertise of other disciplines and industries (in the form of partnerships and mentorship) as well as the resources and freedom to innovate.

What Fellows can expect?

• IF Fellows are part of the Brown University Information Futures Lab, and over the course of the fellowship will connect with a broad network of global researchers, technologists, community leaders, journalists, policy makers, librarians and educators.
• Fellows will participate in the Information Futures Academy, which will provide unique training in cutting-edge tools and techniques such as information monitoring, misinformation mitigation, effective communication, community listening, intervention and research design, and program evaluation. Fellows will also participate in at least one Sandpit, a three- to four-day design sprint during which a diverse group of problem solvers works on one or more ideas to address an information challenge.
• Throughout the fellowship, fellows will share their expertise and learn alongside others as they network with and take inspiration from some of the most impactful change-makers in the field.
• Whether they are in residence at Brown or working remotely from within their community, fellows will connect weekly with their cohort to share project updates and solicit and provide feedback. Fellows will also have access to Brown University libraries and other shared resources.
• Fellows will use the training, resources and network to refine and execute their pilots.

Eligibility Criteria

Their fellowship addresses information spaces across the globe and applicants from outside of the U.S. are welcome. All races, ethnicities and national origins are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit https://sites.brown.edu/informationfutures/fellows-program/