CZS CBOT Endangered Species Fund Grant

The CZS CBOT Endangered Species Fund Grant supports conservation projects for threatened species and habitats, providing funding between $1,500 and $7,000. The fund has awarded over $2.4 million to more than 550 projects worldwide. Proposals must demonstrate critical need and measurable outcomes, and can only be submitted once per funding cycle by groups or individual researchers. Note: international travel is not covered.

Promoting Conservation, Protecting Species
The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Endangered Species Fund was founded in 1988 by Brookfield Zoo Chicago (BZC) Trustee Jerry Manne and his colleagues at CBOT. Since then, the CBOT Fund has awarded approximately $2.4 million to more than 550 projects around the globe focused on protecting species threatened with extinction. It is administered by BZC, with applications reviewed by an advisory committee.
CBOT Endangered Species Fund is open to SSC Specialist Group Chairs and Officers, AZA/WAZA Chairs and Officers, and all interested researchers. Groups should select and submit only one proposal per funding cycle that has been ranked as the highest funding priority and endorsed by the group. Individual researchers may submit only one proposal per funding cycle. The Fund supports small projects of approximately $1,500 to $7,000. It should be noted that no international travel will be funded by the grant.

Eligibility

The Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund will consider projects for a specific threatened, vulnerable or endangered species or a specific habitat that is of high biological value or that is substantially threatened (IUCN Red List Status). The CBOT Committee encourages local scientists and conservationists as project leaders. Projects funded are ones that will assist directly in the protection of populations of threatened and endangered species and that quantitatively assess population and environmental status with indications of best conservation strategy.Projects that assist in achieving sustainable relations between local people and the species of concern as well as the development of educational materials, communications projects and training of local people that promote these aims are very welcome components of projects. Capacity-building aspects should be included in any proposal.Projects should be completed in one year, although exceptions can be made for studies that are part of larger, ongoing projects.

Ineligibility

Travel from U.S. and Europe to field sites in developing countries will not be funded.Grant funds may not be used for international travel.Strict biological research projects are not a priority for this fund unless there can be a direct application of the results. Workshops for critical situations may be supported but the CBOT Committee is not inclined to support less focused discussions of zoo and conservation groups.