The Sophie Danforth Conservation Biology Fund (SDCBF), established by Roger Williams Park Zoo and the Rhode Island Zoological Society in 1989, supports conservation programs that protect threatened wildlife and habitats worldwide.

Funding is directed towards field studies and other projects that demonstrate a multi-disciplinary approach to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. This includes development of techniques that can be used in a natural environment, environmental education programs, and breeding programs that stress an integrative approach to conservation. Projects that involve in-country collaborators or align with RWPZoo’s conservation portfolio receive the highest funding priority.

Application Process:

Submission Guidelines

• Applications for the 2024 grants will be accepted through June 1^st, 2024.
• Grants will be awarded by September 15^th, 2024. No funds will be provided before October 1^st.
• Awardees must provide a progress report including an update on the status of the project and detailing budgetary expenditures by September 15^th, 2025.
• Completed application must include the following:

• 1. Completed application form including literature cited and a detailed budget for the project.
  2. Curriculum Vitae (two page maximum).
  3. Two letters of recommendation, each from a different individual familiar with the applicant and the proposal.

• Only complete application submissions will be considered.
• Electronic submissions are preferred. Send submissions to [email protected]

Project Eligibility

• Applicants must be associated with an organization (e.g. NGO, university, etc.) through which they can receive funding. Organizations, not individuals, receive funding check. There are no eligibility restrictions on the nationality of the applicant.
• Roger Williams Park Zoo is not required to be a collaborator for a project to be eligible for funding.
• Funds for elements of a project that will have already occurred before awards are granted are not eligible for grants.
• We may consider partial funding of a project if a particular component of the project has support and can be completed independently, or if it is made clear that additional funding has been obtained or is being sought from other sources to cover remaining costs.
• We will not consider funding highly invasive, terminal research projects, or projects that collect/voucher specimens.
• Projects that have been funded by the SDCBF are eligible for a second year of funding. A second application must be submitted according to the application guidelines, along with a progress report from the first year of SDCBF funding.
• Awardees must acknowledge the SDCBF and notify RWPZ in any publications produced as a result of the project.

Application Process

We will not consider proposals that do not follow the guidelines precisely.

No phone calls, please. All information needed to inform your application is included here. We suggest that you review current and past grantee project descriptions prior to preparing your application.

To apply, fill out the application below and send it to [email protected].

Download the Sophie Danforth Conservation Biology Fund Application Here >

Amount Awarded: $1000.00

Website: https://www.rwpzoo.org/danforth-conservation-grants/