How long can CLP projects run for?
The length of a CLP project varies, depending on the type of award you receive. For Future Conservationist Awards, projects must be between three and 12 months in length. Follow-up awards can last up to two years and Leadership awards up to three years. The team is expected to carry out all fieldwork, analysis, and final reporting during these time frames.
How many people can be on a CLP team?
All CLP projects must have a team of at least three people. There is no limit to the number of people that can participate in a team; however, clearly defined and meaningful roles must be established for each team member. Most teams range in size from three to five people.
Which countries are eligible for CLP funding?
All low and middle income countries are eligible, with the exception of countries with whom trade or other dealings are prohibited under any sanctions or restricted party regime imposed by the UN, EU, UK and USA. High-income countries are ineligible with the exception of some countries in Latin America & Caribbean and some Pacific Island nations.
See guidelines for full details. Can team members come from high-income countries?
All team members must be nationals of country where the project is taking place. However, one team member can be a non-national but clear justification for this must be included in the application.
Do I need a specific educational background to apply for a CLP Future Conservationist Award?
CLP is committed to supporting people regardless of their educational background. There is no minimum education required to participate as a team leader or team member, we welcome individuals with any informal, formal or non-formal education. The level of education of any team member does not affect your eligibility.
Can CLP awards be used to fund a Masters/PhD?
It is possible for a team member to use the data gathered as part of a CLP project for a university level thesis. However, this cannot be the main focus of the project and any proposal that includes data collection for a thesis must show how the project goes beyond this research. A team can achieve this, for example, by asking a supplemental research question to a thesis that will be explored during the project, by adding a community engagement or policy component, or other conservation-oriented activity. The project should demonstrate how it aims to build conservation capacity. CLP funding cannot be used to cover costs relating to tuition fees, conferences or scholarships.
What do we mean by capacity building?
For CLP, to build capacity is to enhance technical conservation skills as well as leadership competency. CLP applicants must demonstrate how the project will build capacity for all team members.
My target species is classed by the IUCN as NT/LC/Not assessed. Is my project eligible?
To qualify for the current funding round, target species must be globally threatened. Species must have an IUCN categorisation of Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN), or Critically Endangered (CR). Projects focused on Data Deficient species (DD) are also eligible provided the applicant can demonstrate an urgent need for conservation action. For projects that focus on multiple species, at least one species per taxonomic group being studied should be classed as threatened. If a project has target species that are not in any of the above categories, an applicant must provide sufficient evidence – usually in the form of peer-reviewed literature – that suggests that urgent conservation action is required. The most up-to-date IUCN listings are available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/search
Can CLP funding be used to cover laboratory work?
CLP awards do not usually cover significant costs relating to laboratory analysis. Projects that involve laboratory analyses must justify why this work is critical and urgent for conservation.
Can CLP funding be used to help support existing projects?
NO. Projects must be undertaking new work as opposed to supporting the continuation of an already established project. The exceptions to this are the Follow-up and Leadership Awards, which are offered to projects that have already been the recipient of a CLP award.
Can CLP funding be used to cover salaries?
CLP awards can be used to cover per diems (a daily rate paid as a flat fee for work or services) for team members but cannot cover the costs for consultants. It is important that your proposal includes clear justification and itemisation of costs for any salaries/stipends you wish to cover using CLP funding.
Can applicants participate in more than one CLP project?
Applicants can participate in only one CLP project at a time. Applicants can participate in up to three CLP Future Conservationist Award projects in total provided they are serving as team leader no more than once.
Who can be a member of a CLP project team?
We encourage diversity of backgrounds and expertise in teams. A project team can consist of people from a variety of fields, backgrounds, and locations of employment. Not all team members need to be biologists. For example, a team could consist of a university student who has experience working with the media, someone who is carrying out fieldwork at a local NGO, someone from a local community and a person who wants to work in conservation education. Alternatively, a team could consist of three people who all work for the same local NGO but have different areas of expertise that contribute to the project.
Can applicants be employed by CLP partner organisations?
No, a team member cannot be a part- or full-time employee or contractor with any of the CLP partner organisations, i.e. BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Please note that this criterion only applies to those directly employed by the above organisations and does not apply to those employed by a separate organisation affiliated to any of the above, for example BirdLife International or Fauna & Flora partner organisations.
Can a CLP project team change (e.g. if a member can no longer participate)?
CLP strongly encourages building a team that is committed to the project from the beginning to the end. However, we understand that unforeseen circumstances can make this challenging at times. Yes, a project team may change, but teams must notify CLP of any change to a team and new members must be approved by CLP before officially joining. New team members must meet CLP eligibility criteria. Teams should contact clp@birdlife.org to request any changes to the project team.
What do we mean by ‘early-career conservationist’?
All applicants for Future Conservationist awards and new members of a team applying for Follow-up and Leadership awards must be early-career conservationists. By this we mean that applicants must have no more than five years’ paid conservation experience each. Each applicant must provide evidence to prove that they meet this criterion, for example in the form of a detailed employment history on the application form. Academic pursuits such as a PhD do not count as paid experience.
What are the qualities of the ideal applicants?
For us the ideal applicants for a CLP award are early in their careers, show excellent potential for capacity and leadership development, already have some practical or academic experience of conservation and display a passion for conservation issues.