The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) is delighted to invite applications to our 2022 Team Awards from teams of early-career conservationists leading critical projects worldwide. All applications must be submitted using the online platform by 11:59pm GMT on 10 October 2021.

CLP alumni applying for our continuation Follow-up or Leadership Awards must submit a Logical Framework by 8 September 2021; CLP will aim to provide feedback on these by 27^th September 2021. If the Logical Framework is approved, a full application must be submitted by the 10 October 2021 deadline.

Read on to find out more about the awards, eligibility criteria and application process.

Why apply?

Award-winning teams will receive a project grant of $15,000, $25,000 or $50,000 (depending on which award tier they applied for) to support their work. Moreover, all team members will have opportunities to build connections with peers and access expert mentorship through the CLP Alumni Network (comprising approximately 2,900 past recipients around the world); our partner organisations; and the Management Team.

Individuals from winning teams are also invited to participate in international, regional and online training courses.

Each year, the international Conservation Management & Leadership (CML) course brings together participants from around the world. Trainees are able to build lasting connections with peers and engage in training modules that equip them with essential skills and knowledge. These experiences not only allow them to implement their CLP projects and make a lasting impact, but also help advance their future careers in conservation.

One trainee from the first-ever virtual CML course held last year said: “All the [training] sessions helped me to improve myself and become more self-confident. This was my first conservation training; it was a very exciting and useful two months of my life. Every session was very informative and relevant for my future personal development as a conservationist.” – Sopio Kiknavelidze (team member of one of our 2020 Follow-Up Award-winning projects on velvet scoter ducks in Georgia).

About the awards

The CLP Team Awards are a competitive process through which CLP aims to identify, recognise and empower rising stars in conservation who work mainly in the developing world. Awards are granted to teams undertaking high-priority projects that involve not just research but also practical actions and community outreach to promote pro-conservation attitudes and achieve tangible, effective and long-lasting conservation solutions.

Through our online application portal, eligible applicants can apply for one of three types of award:

1. Future Conservationist Awards (up to $15,000 for projects lasting between 3-12 months)
2. Conservation Follow-Up Awards (up to $25,000 for projects lasting up to two years; available only to previous recipients of a Future Conservationist Award)
3. Conservation Leadership Award (up to $50,000 for projects lasting up to three years; available only to previous recipients of a Follow-Up Award).

Several past recipients of CLP awards have gone on to win other accolades (such as Whitley Awards, Marsh Awards and Future For Nature Awards) and many have led highly successful careers in the conservation sector, including forming their own NGOs, influencing conservation policy, discovering new species, establishing new protected areas, adding to scientific knowledge, and bringing threatened species back from the brink of extinction. 

Vera Voronova, CLP alumna and CEO of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), describes how CLP kick-started her career. “[My 2011 CLP Future Conservationist Award] came to me at the right moment. It was the first independent project I led and designed (with the help of my colleagues) – so it was really the first step in my career as a conservationist. Having that connection with other young conservationists helped me realise I’m not alone in my work, which really motivated me.”

Are you eligible to apply?

Applicants must propose projects that support the conservation of species listed as Data Deficient, Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered on the global IUCN Red List. Projects must take place in an eligible country, be led (or co-led) by a national of one of these countries, and involve at least three team members.

Watch the video below to find out more about the eligibility criteria for Future Conservationist Awards:

More details about eligibility and the application process can be found on our website, including Frequently Asked Questions and Guidelines for Applicants. Our Supported Projects pages also provide information on the projects we have funded in the past.

What happens after you apply?

Your application will go through a three-stage review process. First, it will be reviewed by the CLP Management Team who will check that both the project and team meet the eligibility criteria for funding (so please make sure you carefully check the eligibility criteria and application guidelines before submitting your application).

Second, if your application is eligible, it will then be reviewed by conservation experts who will score your project proposal based on its feasibility, contribution to conservation, and capacity development of the teams.

The third stage involves a CLP Award Selection Committee meeting in March 2022, during which final decisions will be made on the award-winning projects. The winners are expected to be announced in April 2022.

We wish you the best of luck with your application!

This call for applications has been made possible thanks to support from Arcadia – a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin.