About the Organization
In the effort to protect our oceans, the Save Our Seas Foundation funds and supports research, conservation and education projects worldwide, focusing primarily on charismatic threatened wildlife and their habitats.
Registered international not-for-profit foundation in Switzerland (Reg No: 081.351.201 | IDE: CHE-110.230.312). Registered US nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation under 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Save Our Seas Foundation has funded more than 480 projects in 91 countries around the globe. Each project strives for deeper understanding and more innovative solutions in marine research, conservation and education. In 2023, the foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary. With the experience and maturity we have gained during these past 20 years we look forward to the next decade as an ongoing evolutionary and refining process. We continue to grow and learn as a foundation, seeking out and supporting the best and brightest people whose innovative projects make a real and lasting impact on the health of our oceans – and ultimately for every person on the planet.
About the Grant
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.
Funded Programmes
- The focus of the Foundation is on threatened marine megafauna, and more specifically on elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and skates).
- Most of the projects supported by the Foundation currently fall into one or more of three major programme areas:
- Research
- Conservation
- Education
General Approach
- The Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) is committed to supporting activities that have the capacity to make a real difference to the health of the oceans and to the survival of threatened aquatic species and habitats.
- With a view to achieving this aim, the Foundation has developed a policy of supporting, in particular, applicants working on exceptional projects, on remarkable species or habitats and/or in unique locations.
- The purpose of this policy is to support research, conservation or educational projects that are capable of attracting significant public attention and that, as a result, may genuinely increase public and government awareness of the urgent need to protect the marine environment.
- As part of this approach, the Foundation requires all grant holders to undertake public awareness and environmental educational activities (giving talks, issuing press releases, etc.) as part of their project.
- Foundation staff (including the dedicated SOSF Communications team) is available to assist grant holders in such public relations work, and grant holders are expected to collaborate with them in preparing public awareness materials.
How to Apply
Stage I: opened on May 10th, 2024. The submission deadline is June 28th – 18:00 CET (Central European time).
Stage II: if your stage I application is successful, you will will be invited to submit your stage II application in August 2024.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Only one application will be accepted from any one applicant.
- All applications will be reviewed by the SOSF scientific committee and require final approval from the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
For more information please check the Link
