Grants of 50,000 USD for Projects Concerning Extreme Environments & Himalyan climate change by National Geographic 2019

National Geographic is calling for proposals led by researchers, conservationists, or storytellers from the Himalayan region. Through this call, National Geographic seeks to advance understanding of environmental and societal changes measured in the Himalayas, one of Earth’s highest mountain ranges, which ultimately provides the water resources for one-fifth of the world’s population.

Details 

National Geographic is especially interested in supporting projects that directly monitor or examine changing temperatures, ice volume or extent, and water pathways, or that examine impacts on at-risk downstream populations. Priority for this RFP will be given to projects led by researchers, conservationists, or storytellers from the Himalayan region and that aim to do one or more of the following: 

1. Directly measure changing high-elevation environmental conditions, including temperature, precipitation, and wind strength/direction, with a focus on the most consequential data gaps.
2. Examine the downstream impacts of climate change, such as glacial lake outburst floods, landslides, and drought.
3. Boost the resilience of Himalayan populations by piloting and implementing culturally appropriate, community-based climate adaptation solutions addressing changing water resources or other climate impacts.
4. Tell the stories of how communities, individuals, and/or wildlife in the Himalayan region are adapting to a changing climate. Storytelling applicants should focus on finding innovative ways to show how recent climate changes are affecting local communities or ecosystems through photography, film, data visualization, reporting, or other methods. Projects that include a component that benefits local audiences or incorporates local voices are strongly encouraged.

See also the competitions and awards available on For9a

Funding

1. Typical proposals should be less than $50,000; applicants may request up to $100,000, of which up to 15 percent can be used for institutional overhead (only for awarded grants of at least $50,000).
2. Successful applicants may use awarded funds over the course of one year.
3. All applications should explicitly state the plan for evaluating the impact of the proposed work.
4. Future iterations of this RFP might expand the geographic focus beyond the Himalayas to other high-elevation regions in the world. (The first opportunity to submit applications for work outside the Himalayas would be in July 2019)

Sample Applications 

Click below to view and download a sample application for each primary project focus:

1. Conservation
2. Research
3. Storytelling

See more grants on For9a