Eligibility
Can individuals apply for funding?
No, individuals cannot apply for funding by themselves. A Concept Note will only be considered from an individual if an academic institution or a non-profit organization fiscally sponsors them.
What is a fiscal sponsor?
A fiscal sponsor is a not-for-profit organization that provides fiduciary oversight, or financial management, and other administrative services to help build the capacity of charitable projects. A project might not be established as their own not-for-profit due to size, capacity, laws or regulations, etc, so the fiscal sponsor will sign the grant agreement and receive the grant money on behalf of the project and distribute the funds to them.
Are individuals or projects from government institutions or government agencies eligible for funding?
Government entities are not eligible for funding except for academic institutions, such as colleges or universities. We would be able to consider the Concept Note or application if the individual or project is sponsored by a non-profit or academic institution.
Can my organization submit multiple applications?
No. Organizations may submit only one application per year.
The sole exception is academic institutions, which may submit multiple applications provided that the departments or faculty involved — and the proposal topics — are fully distinct.
My organization is an existing SCF Grantee. Can we receive a Small Grant?
No. To ensure the wide availability of Small Grants, all current grantees are not eligible for funding. Former SCF grantees may apply for Small Grants.
Application
What will make my application a strong candidate for funding?
Your application should clearly describe in the narrative sections how your project has a direct connection to management change in the near term and what that management change would likely be.
What is the maximum Overhead rate allowed in the budget?
The maximum Overhead rate should not exceed 10% of the total request from SCF. For example, an applicant who requests $25,000 should not have more than $2,500 of Overhead costs.
What does a “direct connection to ongoing opportunities to improve fisheries or environmental management measures for sharks and rays” mean?
SCF believes that the global threats to sharks and rays require immediate action. Therefore, it seeks projects that will result in conservation measures linked to reductions in shark and ray mortality in the near term.
Examples of projects that contribute to these aims include:
1) Advocacy campaigns designed to establish fisheries/environmental protections for shark/ray species or protected/conserved areas for priority habitats.
2) Studies that help determine the distribution of sharks and/or rays in a particular area where the information will fill a known data gap and/or directly be used to establish protected or conserved areas.
2) Capacity building training to improve implementation or enforcement of existing strong conservation measures.
3) A study that assesses shark populations in a region/country that will be used to establish/inform management measures such as catch or retention limits.
Note: While valuable, projects such as tagging studies, presence/absence surveys, mark-recapture work, or eDNA investigations do not meet SCF’s criteria unless they are tied to a specific regulation or management action. For applicants solely undertaking research activities, there must be a clearly defined partner organization or agency that will utilize the data to improve shark regulation or management.
Applicants should be able to explain the ongoing opportunity (e.g. an MPA management plan up for review, or an ongoing advocacy campaign to prohibit the retention of a species that is lacking key data) in their Concept and Proposal. Applications that cannot clearly explain the linkages will be less competitive.
Can applications be submitted after the 5pm EDT deadline?
The deadline for submitting proposals is 5pm EDT in the United States. The SCF online application system will not accept applications after that deadline. A short extension may be granted for extenuating circumstances that are out of the control of the applicant.
Duration and Location
How long are Small Grants awarded for and can they be part of a larger project?
Small Grants are automatically awarded for a duration of 18 months but can be awarded for a shorter duration for special circumstances. Small Grants should not exceed 18 months in duration.
Small Grants may be part of a larger project if the proposed work is a distinct portion of the larger project. For example, a grant might assist with just identifying habitat preferences for threatened sharks for use in establishing protected areas.
Are there any countries where SCF does not currently fund project work?
Due to sanctions or political instability, SCF does not typically award grants to projects that operate in countries on OFAC’s Active Sanctions Programs list.
Please reach out to us directly at [email protected] if you have further questions.