SCB-LACA Section - Professional Development Scholarships 2023

[Nigel Noriega]

SCB-LACA Section - Professional Development Scholarships 2023

The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm (US Central Time) on December 1, 2023

The Latin American and Caribbean (LACA) Section of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) is pleased to announce our scholarship opportunity for 2023, which is available to graduate students working in the LACA region. SCB-LACA will be offering four USD $1,000 competitive scholarships in support of expenses associated with emerging conservation professionals conducting their thesis work in disciplines and subjects directly related to applied conservation science in LACA, and for which some tangible conservation benefit or outcome is anticipated.

 

Rationale - Some of the most pressing issues with respect to conservation are found across the LACA geographical region. Most universities and colleges across LACA do not currently have adequate support for the professional development of their emerging conservation professionals. Consequently, more support is needed for graduate students in LACA working on impactful conservation projects in the region. This scholarship opportunity is intended to increase support for outstanding research in applied natural and social sciences for the most creative and innovative graduate students pursuing meaningful conservation projects in the LACA region.

 

Eligibility Criteria - To be eligible, students must:

1. be a member in good standing of the SCB,
2. be a member of the SCB LACA Section,
3. be a native citizen of a LACA nation (i.e., countries and territories of the Americas excluding the United States, Canada, and Greenland),
4. be enrolled in a graduate program at a University or College in a LACA nation,
5. explain/justify financial need, and
6. be conducting a graduate research project with high potential for immediate conservation impact in LACA. Candidates working on topics of greatest importance to the mission and vision, as well as goals, and values of the SCB will receive the highest consideration.

 

Successful applicants will be required to furnish receipts for expenses up to the full amount of the Scholarship. Recipients will also automatically be accepted for a poster or oral presentation at the next regional congress and/or will be required to participate in a LACA-hosted webinar.

 

Application Guidelines - Please submit the following materials by midnight (US Central Time) of December 1, 2023:

1. Proposal Summary or Statement (three pages maximum, single spaced), including (a) an overview of the project, including location, objectives, high-level summary of methodology, and expected deliverables; (b) rationale of the work; (c) how the work is and/or what knowledge gaps or problems it is uniquely addressing; and (d) how the work is relevant or aligns with SCB’s mission, vision, goals, and values.
2. Your professional/career goals (one paragraph).
3. A budget table and a description of how the scholarship funds will be spent (one paragraph).
4. One paragraph explaining/justifying your financial need.
5. CV (3 pages max, any format).
6. Your country of citizenship and SCB Membership Number.
7. Two reference letters, one of which should be from your major professor or advisor (your major professor/advisor should briefly describe why these funds are needed).
8. Undergraduate and current graduate transcripts (including Grade Point Average).

 

All files must be in either MS Word, pdf, or jpeg format. Please email all application materials as a single, zipped (compressed) file saved as “last name_first initial(s)” of the applicant (e.g., Lopez_G) in a single email with the subject line “LACA Scholarship 2023” to scb...@conbio.org.