The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) Graduate Student Research Awards provide financial support to graduate students conducting research that advances the science and practice of conserving Earth’s biodiversity.
For the 2026 round, 10 awards of US$1,000 are available. The funding is intended to help cover field research expenses, including travel, materials and equipment needed to complete graduate research.
Applicants must demonstrate financial need toward completing their graduate degree, and their research must contribute to SCB’s mission of advancing biodiversity conservation.
About the Organization
The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) is an international professional society bringing together scientists, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, educators, students and other conservation professionals.
SCB works to advance the science and practice of conserving Earth’s biological diversity and supports its members through research, professional development, networking, publications and conservation opportunities.
What Does the Award Support?
The 2026 award can support costs connected to graduate field research in conservation science, including:
- Fieldwork and field-related travel
- Research materials
- Research equipment
- Other eligible expenses needed to conduct the research
The research should address a conservation question and contribute to the advancement of biodiversity conservation.
Possible areas can include biodiversity, wildlife conservation, ecosystems, species conservation, habitat protection, human–wildlife interactions and other areas of conservation science, provided the research contributes to SCB’s mission.
Who Can Apply?
The award is intended for graduate student members of SCB whose research contributes to biodiversity conservation.
Applicants should:
- Be undertaking a graduate degree.
- Be an SCB student member.
- Be conducting graduate research related to conservation biology or biodiversity conservation.
- Demonstrate financial need for completing the graduate research.
- Require support for field research, including eligible travel, materials or equipment.
SCB membership is open internationally, and its student membership category includes people working toward undergraduate or graduate degrees.
Geographic eligibility: The opportunity is international rather than restricted to a particular country. Applicants should, however, meet the SCB membership and graduate-research requirements.
Funding & Benefits
Each selected student receives:
US$1,000
The award can help cover research-related costs such as:
- Fieldwork travel
- Materials
- Equipment
- Other field research expenses
There are 10 awards available for 2026.
Application Process
Applicants should first ensure that they meet the graduate student and SCB membership requirements.
The application is submitted through the SCB awards process. Applicants should prepare information about their graduate research, its conservation relevance and their financial need.
SCB’s Global Awards Committee evaluates applications based on merit while also considering geographic, topical, gender and other aspects of conservation diversity.
Deadline
📅 15 October 2026
Applications for the 2026 Graduate Student Research Fellowship Awards remain open until this date.
Why Apply?
This opportunity can help graduate researchers fill a funding gap for field-based conservation research while also connecting them with an international professional society focused on biodiversity conservation.
The US$1,000 award may be particularly useful for students who already have a defined research project but need additional support for field travel, equipment or research materials.
