Sirenian International, Inc. Call for Proposals Sirenian International is a grassroots organization dedicated to manatee & dugong research, education, and conservation worldwide.  We are interested in sponsoring research, conservation, and education projects involving manatees and/or dugongs around the world, with priority given to projects in developing nations where funding is traditionally difficult to secure. Typical awards are US $500 - $1,000. Please send a preliminary email to Sirenian International Grant Proposals to determine current availability of funding.

Sirenian International is a grassroots organization dedicated to worldwide manatee and dugong conservation through research, education, and inter-cultural collaboration. Our Board of Directors is interested in supporting research, conservation, and education projects involving manatees and/or dugongs around the world, with priority given to projects in developing nations where funding is traditionally difficult to secure. Since 2001, we have awarded 10 small grants to projects in Vietnam, Gabon, Colombia, Thailand, Venezuela, Cambodia, Palau, India and Sri Lanka. We do not currently fund projects in the United States or Australia. Typical awards are US $500 - $1,000.

There is no deadline for application; proposals are accepted year-round. HOWEVER, grants are awarded subject to review by our Scientific Advisory Council and the availability of funds. Please send a preliminary email to Sirenian International Grant Proposals (c/o caryn@sirenian.org) to determine current availability of funds and status of the review process, which is semi-annual and roughly correlated with Sirenews publication dates of April and October.

In keeping with our mission of sirenian conservation through inter-cultural collaboration, we encourage networking, community outreach, and student development components in all proposals. We will use the following criteria to evaluate grant proposals:

• Involvement of recognized representatives of host countries (e. g. governmental agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, local students) in the planning, implementation and/or evaluation of the proposed project.
• Inclusion of local people/communities in project design, implementation, data collection, and/or data reduction.
• Sound project design, meeting the standards of peer review.
• Demonstrated effectiveness at presenting results to popular and technical audiences.
• Intent to publish findings at scientific meetings, in peer-reviewed journals and/or through the public media (e.g., popular magazines, newsletters, radio, TV, Internet).
• Plan for information outreach prior to, during, and/or after the conclusion of the project (e.g. newsletter articles, local presentations).

Each grant recipient agrees to register with Sirenian International as a Participating Member and to submit information about their project to SI for use on our website and in our newsletter. To apply for a small grant, please submit the following:

• Cover letter, briefly outlining your request for funds (1-2 pages).
• A concise proposal (5-10 pages) that includes:
  • relevance of study and appropriate background information, including a literature review;
  • clearly stated objectives and how the anticipated results of the project relate to the stated goals of any appropriate manatee or dugong conservation efforts within your host country or at the regional level if your host country has no conservation program;
  • clearly stated methods, estimated duration of the project, and plans for follow-up, application of results, and/or future work;
• resume or CV (1-2 pages) for each investigator listed;
• detailed budget (1-2 pages), including matching funds, if necessary to complete project and whether matching funds are applied for or already secured.
• Two (min) to three (max) letters of recommendation (1-2 pages), complete with your reference's contact information (e-mail addresses and phone numbers preferred). If you are a student, one letter should be from your academic advisor; if you are working within an organization, one letter should be from your supervisor or executive director. Important: If you are working as a visiting researcher/conservationist/educator outside of your own homeland, one reference must come from a local collaborator.

IMPORTANT: Electronic submissions are preferred. DO combine the cover letter, proposal, CV, budget, etc., in ONE file and send as attachment to e-mail [MSWord document (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf)]. DO NOT use fancy formatting; DO NOT include images or photos in the document; DO have your reference letters sent in the same manner. Submit to caryn@sirenian.org. For more information about Sirenian International, please visit our website at http://www.sirenian.org or contact Caryn Self Sullivan (snail mail: 200 Stonewall Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 USA; e-mail: caryn@sirenian.org). All applications will be sent for review to our Scientific Advisory Council (SAC); grants will be awarded by our Board of Directors (BOD) based on recommendations from the SAC and the availability of funds. Sirenian International, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation.

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