Grants

Projects should be directed to one or more of the following funding priorities:

  • Investigating the status of Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable or Near-threatened bird species
  • Attempting to further the knowledge of existing IBAs, for example by undertaking breeding censuses and conducting systematic counts
  • Investigating potential new IBAs or ornithologically little known areas
  • Conducting ecological studies of little-known species
  • Studies related to illegal bird killing and unsustainable hunting
  • Educational programmes, especially aimed at school children and youth.

Priority will be given to projects:

  • Initiated and carried out by nationals of OSME region countries, and/or
  • Include a strong educational element, pro-actively engaging local communities and/or
  • Include a strong educational element, pro-actively engaging local communities and/or
  • Include an element of long-term sustainability of the project, such as training of local counterparts

There is no maximum limit to the value of grant awarded but most average £1000 to £2,000. Ideally, the funding should be for the whole of the project, a discrete section, or major part of it and applicants must state if funding is being received or sought from elsewhere. Applications that include significant costs for international airfares are unlikely to be approved.

Unfortunately, because of limited resources OSME is unable to fund projects where requests are made for contributions towards academic fees or for projects by PhD or other students. Exceptions may be made for field projects carried out as part of an academic study if funding from the academic institution is not available.

Projects which include the collection of specimens will not be supported unless this is fully explained and justified and all necessary local authorisations are obtained. This applies equally to whole or parts of individual organisms and DNA samples related to projects involving or relying on molecular biology.

General bird ringing projects that focus on establishing new long-term programmes are unlikely to be funded, but please contact the CRF for further advice crf.