Earth Journalism Network Biodiversity Media Grants 2020 (US$48,000)

Application Deadline: October 15, 2020. 

Many of the threats currently facing global biodiversity have been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Funding for critical conservation and ecotourism projects has been redirected or lost, economic growth has been prioritized over protecting wild spaces, and media coverage of the outbreak has dwarfed reporting on conservation. 

Indeed, the biodiversity crisis is one that impacts all of humanity and has not received the media coverage that it deserves. Media organisations and reporters have an important part to play in raising public awareness of biodiversity and conservation issues, and highlighting potential solutions to these problems. 

As a part of the Earth Journalism Network’s Biodiversity Media Initiative project, we are pleased to announce a new round of grant opportunities  for journalist networks, media organizations, civil society organizations or academic institutions that are working to improve media coverage of biodiversity and conservation issues in countries where information is most under threat and most urgently needed. 

The Biodiversity Media Grants will support projects that: 

• Build the capacity of journalism networks and media organizations to report on biodiversity and conservation issues 

• Carry out biodiversity and/or conservation training activities for journalists 
• Build internal capacity 
• Organise local networks around these issues 

Type of Projects

• The Biodiversity Media Grant will support projects that generally focus on training and capacity building, with flexible spending guidelines that enable local networks to invest in strategic opportunities, build the capacities of their members, and respond to communities’ needs. 
• Projects funded by this grant should build awareness of the threats to biodiversity and conservation-based solutions by spreading quality news and information, with a focus on audiences in lower- and middle-income countries. Projects should also build the capacity of journalists and communicators to report on threats to biodiversity and on conservation-based solutions, by building their skills, knowledge and contacts. 
• While content production is an important aspect of any project, applications without some form of awareness-building, network-building or capacity-building component will not be considered.  If special opportunities arise, we are open to supporting fellowships and travel costs for journalists to report specific stories or cover key events, so long as these projects facilitate the creation of networks and/or are part of a training process. 

Eligibility

• The Biodiversity Media Grant Opportunity is designed to support the awareness- or capacity-building around biodiversity and conservation, network building, content production around these issues, or creating digital or other media outlets. Applicants should note their affiliations with existing media organizations or provide detailed plans about how this project would facilitate the creation of a new network or organization.  
• As Internews is strictly a media development organization, we will not consider applications rooted in advocacy or political campaigning.  
• This opportunity is open to journalist networks, media organizations, civil society organizations or academic institutions. Although we will consider applications by NGOs or environmental groups looking to build the capacity of journalists to cover conservation issues, preference will be given to applications from or affiliated with professional journalists, media organizations, journalism schools and the like. 

Funding

• This grant fund has US$48,000 available for awards this year, which we would ideally share among three to five projects. Although applications for funding of any amount within this total will be considered, we would expect the average grant size to be between $10,000 and $15,000, with potentially a greater share of the total going to projects that demonstrate a critical need.  
• The deadline for applications is October 15, 2020. 
• Please take note of the time zone for the application deadline, as applications submitted after this will not be considered. 

Selection process 

Grants will be awarded competitively by a panel of judges, consisting of Internews staff and experts in environmental reporting. Following a first-round review, potential grantees will be shortlisted. The jury may interview shortlisted applicants to seek further information on the proposed activity. The jury will then reconvene again after the interviews to make a final selection of the grantees. 

The jury evaluates all eligible applications in a comparative context and makes funding decisions based on the availability of funds, the program objectives, and the following assessment criteria: 

• the overall quality of the proposal; 
• the relevance of the proposed project in contributing to the objectives and priorities of this grant program; 
• the potential impact of the proposed project, including the quality and effectiveness of the project design; 

• the financial viability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed activity; 
• the ability of the applicant to carry it out. 

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Earth Journalism Network Biodiversity Media Grants 2020