Earthwatch Institute - Ocean Ecosystems Research Grants

Enriched International · Found: 2026-03-10 22:06

Research grants USD 20,000-100,000 supporting citizen science marine conservation projects. Covers coral reefs, seagrass, kelp forests, coastal areas. Provides citizen-scientist volunteers. Rolling RFPs from April 2026 for projects starting 2028.

Source: https://earthwatch.org/research/apply-for-research-funding

Funding Details

Funder

Earthwatch Institute

Funding Goal

To support field-based citizen science research projects that address global change challenges including marine conservation, biodiversity conservation, and traditional ecological knowledge. Funding covers field expenses for projects integrating citizen-scientist volunteers into quantifiable research programs.

Funding Amount

Annual budgets USD 20,000-80,000 per year for long-duration team projects; final grants on a per-capita basis based on number of citizen-scientist participants (20.000 € – 80.000 €)

Deadline

Rolling basis (Rolling)

How to Apply

Submit a pre-proposal through the Earthwatch Submission Portal (https://fs22.formsite.com/EarthwatchResearch/PreProposal/index). Rolling process effective April 2026, for projects beginning in 2028. RFPs available for Marine Conservation, Biodiversity Conservation, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Target Region

Global (excluding regions on Earthwatch 'No Go List')

Contact

1-800-776-0188; contact form at https://earthwatch.org/contact

Last Checked

2026-05-07 05:37

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• PI must hold a PhD in the field of research, or collaborate with a co-investigator who does
• PI must be affiliated with a university, government agency, tribal agency, or science-focused NGO

Project Scope

• Project must be field-based and involve citizen-scientist volunteers as primary data collectors
• Minimum 4 research teams per year with 4-15 participants per team

Required Documents

• Submit pre-proposal via online portal; rolling process open from April 2026 for 2028 project starts

Constraints

• Project duration must be 3 years or longer
• All project communications and supporting documents must be in English
• Research location must not be on Earthwatch 'No Go List' (safety-based exclusions)
• Scientist salaries, student tuition, institutional overhead, and capital equipment are not funded

Summary

Earthwatch Institute provides research funding for field-based citizen science projects that integrate volunteer participants into structured scientific research addressing global change. The programme prioritises rigorous, impactful science where citizen-scientist participation is central to data collection, not supplementary. Thematic scope covers three main tracks: Marine Conservation (coral reefs, seagrass, kelp forests, coastal ecosystems), Biodiversity Conservation, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Marine conservation projects may address ocean ecosystems including coastal areas, fisheries monitoring, and marine habitat health. Plastic waste monitoring or collection is not listed as a specific focus, but broader ocean ecosystem research is in scope. Eligible activities are exclusively field-based research and data collection, with citizen-scientist participants present in the field. Funded expenses include field equipment and supplies, transport, technicians, support staff, food and housing. Scientist salaries, student tuition, institutional overhead, capital equipment, and post-field data analysis are not funded. Projects must run minimum 3 years with 4+ teams per year. Geographic scope is global, subject to Earthwatch's 'No Go List' which excludes certain regions for safety reasons. No specific regional focus; projects from all countries are considered. Eligible applicants include scientists affiliated with universities, government agencies, tribal agencies, or science-focused NGOs. The lead PI or at least one team member must hold a PhD. Earthwatch encourages applications from underrepresented groups, scientists local to research locations, and early career researchers. Graduate students may participate as research technicians. Funding is supplemental (not primary) with annual budgets of USD 20,000-80,000, calculated on a per-capita basis based on the number of citizen-scientist participants fielded. Projects may receive multi-year support, averaging 10-11 years across the portfolio.

Historical Context

Earthwatch has supported long-term scientific research with citizen-scientist volunteers for decades. Projects average 10-11 years of support. Programme shifted to rolling RFPs from April 2026 for projects starting in 2028. Three active RFP tracks: Marine Conservation (RFP_Marine_Conservation_2025), Biodiversity Conservation (RFP_Biodiversity_Conservation_2025), Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Why it was added

Key citizen science marine research funder aligned with SDG14 ocean ecosystems conservation

Sources

• https://earthwatch.org/research/apply-for-research-funding

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