New England BioLabs Foundation Grant

New England BioLabs Foundation Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: New England Biolabs Foundation
Last Updated: January 26, 2026

Summary

The New England BioLabs Foundation Grant focuses on supporting nonprofit organizations that enhance biocultural diversity and ecosystem services in regions such as Central America and West Africa. Projects should aim to conserve biological diversity, sustain traditional knowledge, and promote local economic vitality. The foundation prioritizes community-led initiatives, especially in coastal communities along Massachusetts' North Shore. Those interested must first submit a letter of inquiry, adhering to specific guidelines before proceeding with full proposals.

Overview

NOTE: The first step in the process is to submit a letter of inquiry (LOI) to us, following the guidelines posted here. Please do not submit a full proposal without first being invited by our staff to do so. Thematic Areas In all our areas of geographic focus, we support communities in the stewardship of their landscapes and seascapes and the biocultural diversity found in these places. We welcome inquiries from nonprofit organizations working to: Conserve terrestrial and marine biological diversity.Sustain cultural diversity, linguistic diversity, and traditional knowledge systems and practices. Maintain ecosystem services (including, water, soil, and carbon sequestration).Support food sovereignty and economic vitality of local communities.Sustain healthy reefs and fisheries. And, in coastal communities along the North Shore of Massachusetts, in addition to the thematic areas listed above, we support artistic expression projects that at their core: Raise awareness of an issue or catalyze action.Help promote the protection of the environment.Help foster community diversity, equity, and inclusion. Approaches We support community-based projects that seek to meet their objectives in a variety of ways. Among the kinds of approaches we support are those concerned with: Among the kinds of approaches we support are those concerned with: Creating and/or ensuring effective management of terrestrial and marine protected areas, in particular where governance is led by communities (e.g., Indigenous Peoples’ and Community-Conserved Areas and Territories [ICCAs]).Ecological restoration involving native species, prioritizing efforts linked to existing conservation areas already valued by communities (e.g., a watershed, community forest, or sacred grove). Providing enhanced and alternative livelihoods to support local economies and community well-being (e.g., through agroecology and non-timber forest products). Environmental education that draws on Indigenous and local traditions and languages to address present-day problems. Use of the arts and other innovative methods to convey social and environmental messages. Fostering civic engagement of communities through creative facilitation and other methods (e.g., community-mapping exercises).

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Projects are restricted to the following regions and target landscapes:Central America:In Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras:Coastal landscapes/seascapes within the Gulf of Honduras and the Bay IslandsIn Nicaragua:Southern Pacific coast of Nicaragua, including Lake NicaraguaNorthern Caribbean coast within Nicaragua’s North Atlantic Autonomous RegionAndean South AmericaSacred Valley of the Incas, extending from Ollantaytambo to Pisac in the Southern Andes of PeruIn Bolivia, that portion of the Altiplano extending from Lake Titicaca to Lake Poopó, and beyond to SucreAndes-Amazon Basin of Ecuador and Peru West Africa:In Ghana:Weto Landscape/Togo Plateau in the southern part of the Togo-Atakora Mountains in GhanaBlack Volta Basin in the Upper West region of GhanaIn Cameroon:Highland landscapes of Southwest CameroonU.S. Grants:While the foundation's emphasis is on working internationally, we do fund a limited number of local projects in coastal communities along the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Ineligibility

We do not typically fund:Art projects beyond the North Shore of MassachusettsCapital endowments, renovations, or building fundsConferences or travel grantsDisease-specific initiatives or medical researchPrivate schoolsProduction of videos, movies, or booksReligious activitiesRoutine operating cost of institutionsScholarships, fellowships, and internshipsServices concerning the elderly, the needy, or the handicappedSpecies-specific projectsWe cannot make grants to individuals.