Exploration and Early Career Grants
Solicitation Title: Exploration and Early Career Grants
Event Type: Early Career
Funding Amount: Exploration Grants: $10,000-$30,000, up to one year.
Early Career Grants: $5,000-$10,000, up to one year.
Sponsor Deadline: Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Solicitation Link: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/funding-opportunities/grants/what-we-fund/
Overview
<div> <p>The National Geographic Society has awarded more than 14,000 grants for bold, innovative and transformative projects. We accept proposals for projects in conservation, education, research, storytelling or technology.</p> <p>Our grant recipients are a diverse community of change-makers from around the world, and we actively seek to help them network and connect more deeply with National Geographic and each other.</p> <p>We are working to increase global understanding of our planet and create a community of change by advancing key insights about the world and probing some of the most pressing scientific questions of our time.</p> </div> <div>All proposed projects should be bold, innovative, and potentially transformative and have a primary focus in conservation, education, research, storytelling, or technology. Projects should also align to one of our focus areas.</div> <div>.</div> <div><strong>Exploration Grant</strong></div> <div><strong></strong>An Exploration Grant application is a request for funding by an experienced project leader in the areas of conservation, education, research, storytelling, and technology. The applicant and his or her team members are expected to demonstrate successful completion of similar projects with measurable and/or tangible results. If you have received a grant from National Geographic in the past, you may submit a new proposal after you have closed your previous grant record.</div> <div>.</div> <div><strong>Early Career Grant</strong></div> <div><strong></strong>Early Career Grants are designed to offer less experienced individuals an opportunity to lead a project.</div> <div>.</div> <div>Visit our How to Apply section to learn more about eligibility requirements and how to prepare your proposal. Early Career Grant applicants must also submit a two-minute video that will be used to help evaluate the proposal. You may speak in your primary language, but if that is not English, you MUST add English subtitles or attach an English video transcript.</div>
Solicitation Limitations: <p>There is no maximum age limit for Early Career Grant applicants. However, applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of application submission. Applicants are not required to have an advanced degree. Anyone with more than five years of professional experience in the field of their project focus does not qualify for an Early Career Grant and should apply for an Exploration Grant instead.</p> <p>.</p> <p>If you have previously received an Early Career Grant or a Young Explorers Grant from National Geographic, you may submit a new proposal after you have closed your previous grant record.</p> Other Information:<div>(Applicants typically must choose one lens and one focus area.)</div> <div>.</div> <div><strong>Our Focus Areas</strong> <br>National Geographic Society–funded projects should be bold, innovative, and transformative. All proposed projects must be novel and exploratory and align to our mission and focus areas.</div> <div>.</div> <div><strong>Lens: Wildlife.</strong> Wildlife includes species-focused projects and the local evolutionary and ecological processes that sustain them. Although extinction is a natural part of evolution, the current accelerated loss of species means that we need novel approaches and solutions that support biological diversity and abundance. This area of focus supports projects that seek to discover and identify species and ecosystems and to mitigate threats to Earth’s life forms. Projects will improve understanding of biological diversity, including behavior, life history, evolution, ecology, and habitat requirements.<br>.<br><strong>Lens: Human Journey.</strong> Human Journey focuses on learning more about who we are and what our future will be on this planet. It supports projects in a range of fields that are helping us understand the origins and development of our species; how we modified and adapted to diverse landscapes across the globe; the evolution of cultures and societies; and the current status of and trends in our cultural, linguistic, and genetic diversity. Recognizing that human society is currently out of balance with the natural world, we also seek projects that propose solutions to mitigate this imbalance.</div> <div>.</div> <div><strong>Lens: Changing Planet.</strong> Changing Planet grants focus on our Earth's dynamic terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems. These are the foundations of life on the planet, yet are increasingly threatened by exploitation, mismanagement, and climate change. We seek projects that illuminate these issues to better inform decision making and to develop more effective models for conservation and protected area management at large scales. This area of focus seeks to reduce negative human impacts on ecosystems and Earth processes by increasing knowledge, inspiring action, and creating solutions with direct, quantifiable, and scalable methods for conserving landscapes or seascapes.<br>. <br><strong>Our Investment Strategy</strong><br>See how we invest in bold people and transformative ideas in the fields of conservation, education, research, storytelling, and technology. Our goal is to identify, cultivate, and develop the changemakers and solutions of today and tomorrow.</div> <div>.</div> <div><strong>Focus Area: Conservation.</strong> These grants aim to achieve quantifiable outcomes as a result of scientifically informed actions. There must be a demonstrated need and urgency for conservation, as well as a clear method to evaluate the success or failure of the project. Applicants must propose projects that result in or inform tangible solutions that contribute to the conservation of natural resources or the long-term survival of cultural resources.<br>. <br><strong>Focus Area: Education.</strong> These grants aim to help educators teach people about the world and how it works, empowering them to make it a better place. Projects may introduce innovative instructional strategies for students of any age and in any location. Other projects may take proven ideas and scale or replicate them for larger audiences or different geographical areas. Projects also may measure what is working in education and add to the body of knowledge about how people learn.</div> <div>.</div> <div><strong>Focus Area: Research.</strong> These grants support high-quality scientific projects that aim to answer clear questions with measurable outcomes that advance a particular field of knowledge. Established projects should be driven by testable hypotheses. Exploratory projects to pilot new methods or gather important data baselines are also encouraged. Research grants primarily support fieldwork expenses; however, we will also consider laboratory and technology costs as part of the overall project budget (in addition to a stipend, where applicable).<br>. <br><strong>Focus Area: Storytelling.</strong> These grants support projects that demonstrate the power of science and exploration to change the world. Applicants should show a record of successful media projects, and must submit a portfolio. Projects may stand alone or be distinct components of larger efforts. Awarded funds will support field expenses, equipment, and stipends for freelancers. Approval of a storytelling grant does not guarantee publication by National Geographic media.<br>.<br><strong>Focus Area: Technology.</strong> These grants support the development of new technologies and methods or the innovative application of existing technologies that can improve our ability to explore, protect, and tell the story of our world and its inhabitants. Awarded funds support materials, fabrication, and other development costs. Applicants must secure the proper permits for any tests described in the project proposals, and are highly encouraged to conduct proof-of-concept field trials.</div> <div>We do not usually consider applications that support strictly laboratory or collections work. Grants are awarded on the basis of merit and exist independent of the Society's other divisions.</div> <div>.</div> <div>Please note that this is a highly competitive grant program; we receive many more applications than we are able to fund.</div> <div>.</div> <div>Project start dates should be a minimum of six months after the submission deadline to ensure any awarded funds are received in time.</div>Last Updated:
RODA ID: 656