Student Grants

The Institute for International Conservation (IIC) in the Department of Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England is pleased to announce the call for proposals for our two grant funds, the ​Tropical Seed Grant Fund (TSGF) ​and the ​Student Raised Grant (SRG).​ AUNE graduate students who are members of IIC and are conducting research or projects pertaining to ecology, education, sustainable development, natural resource management or conservation in international countries should apply.

Tropical Seed Grant Fund (TSGF)

The Institute for International Conservation (IIC) has awarded scholarships totaling up to $3000 to ANE ES graduate students each year since 2005 through these two funds. The Tropical Seed Grant Fund​ is meant to support the ‘seed’ of a tropical conservation project – a fund to help students get their research off the ground, thanks to an endowment generously donated by an ES alumna and her family.

The Student Raised Grant Fund (SRG)

The ​Student Raised Grant​ is supported by our organic, fair trade coffee and cocoa sales, and was initiated several years ago by two ICC student members in the ES Department, Troy Hansel and Jeff Brown. Funding from the SRG is intended to support student projects that contribute to international ecology and/or communities via research or projects in education, sustainable development, natural resource management or conservation.

Support this grant by ordering coffee ​here​ or donate to IIC ​here​.

Interested students submit one application to be considered for both of the grants. There is no need to indicate to which one you are applying.

Send completed applications to: [email protected]

Application deadline:

Look for the call for grant applications in early March

Qualifications:

Students interested in applying for a grant must be enrolled with at least half time status in the Environmental Studies Department at Antioch University New England at the time of their application for the grant, and they must be registered as a IIC student. Funds may be requested for field work on a tropical ecology, sustainable development, education, natural resource management, or conservation project, including field equipment or travel to the field site. Requests for funding will be considered up to $1000. The student must demonstrate the link between their dissertation/thesis/project and conservation, sustainable development, environmental education, or management in/of the tropics, and this work must count towards their graduate degree at AUNE.

Application Instructions

Please read and follow these instructions carefully!

Please submit a brief letter of interest (one-page cover letter) and a research/project proposal of no more than 4 pages, including a complete and detailed budget. To receive full consideration, proposals must be submitted in the following format:

1. Title page must include: Purpose of funding (research/project), applicant name, address, and phone number, name of ANE faculty advisor, and a brief project summary including project dates and amount of money requested.
   • Three-page narrative including (single spaced, 12 font):
   • Thesis, Project or Dissertation objectives (research questions if appropriate)
   • Location of the research or project activities
   • Justification/abbreviated literature review
   • Methods
   • Anticipated results and their potential application, detailing the anticipated tangible/measurable results, how those results will be analyzed and how the overall project will be evaluated.
   • Demonstration of feasibility and appropriateness of field site: in-country contacts; permissions to work in country or at field site; contacts with local researchers/professionals, status of field site.
   • Evidence that you will be able to raise sufficient funds to cover the trip if this grant does not cover full expenses.
2. Timetable of relevant activities
3. Budget (as appropriate: equipment, travel expenses, food and lodging), and a clear indication of what will be paid for by the grant money. Please indicate how you will cover the total costs of the proposed activity, assuming this grant will not cover all costs.

Submit electronic copy as a single document to: [email protected]

This means you must put all the parts of your application into one PDF document . Do not send more than one document. Put your last name and ‘IIC grant application’ in the subject line (e.g., Smith IIC grant application).

Proposal Review:

1. All proposals will be reviewed by a committee comprised of the IIC Director, members of the ES faculty, and one IIC student staff member.
2. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
   • Scientific, conservation, environmental education and/or sustainable development merit of the proposed project for which funds are requested
   • Appropriateness and/or scientific merit of chosen project methods
   • Feasibility of project within the proposed time
   • Need for funding
   • Relative contribution of the proposed project to conservation goals and/or to existing scientific knowledge
   • Priority is given to funding capstone projects

Funds are typically released after Spring semester has ended based on Financial Aid guidelines.

Grant Requirements:

1. Applicants agree to submit a letter of acknowledgment upon receipt of the grant
2. Applicants agree to submit a two-page summary of the research or a copy of the final report to IIC within two months of completion of research project for which the funds were used.
3. The grant recipient is required to give an oral or poster presentation on the project at the ANE community at Environmental Studies Graduate Student Symposium, held annually in April.
4. The recipient agrees to acknowledge IIC in any publications or presentations arising from the funded work.

For More Information Contact:

Michael Akresh, Co-Director of IIC at [email protected]

Jason Rhoades, Co-Director of IIC at [email protected]

Ashley Bernard, Program Manager of IIC at [email protected]