OPCFHK Conservation Funding Grant

OPCFHK Conservation Funding Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong
Amount: Up to HK $1,000,000
Last Updated: November 21, 2025

Summary

The OPCFHK Conservation Funding program aims to ensure the survival of threatened Asian wildlife, particularly the giant panda and Chinese white dolphin. This initiative encourages innovative conservation projects that deliver measurable results, promote public awareness, and involve local communities. With a focus on endangered species and their habitats, the foundation prioritizes initiatives that align with climate change, marine conservation, and terrestrial wildlife protection, fostering collaboration between local and international researchers.

Overview

Background OPCFHK envisions a world where Asian wildlife remains biologically diverse under the stewardship of humans, corporations and governments. We are committed to advocating, facilitating and participating in effective conservation efforts of Asian wildlife, with an emphasis on Chinese white dolphins and giant pandas, as well as their habitats. This will be achieved through partnerships, fundraising, research and education. With limited funds and given the urgency of conservation efforts, it is important that research studies contribute to effective conservation. Therefore, we seek proposals with measurable conservation outcomes. Funding Focus The Foundation solicits projects on threatened wildlife in Asia, particularly on the Foundation’s focal species, the giant panda and the Chinese white dolphin, as well as other threatened wildlife (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, birds, fishes, invertebrates and other aquatic and terrestrial mammals) and their habitats throughout Asia. Study outcomes must contribute to successful conservation and could entail the development of conservation action plans and/or social science-based conservation programmes. All proposals must include relevant and specific conservation targets, measurable milestones and an evaluation of the programme’s effectiveness using quantifiable indicators (e.g. before and after questionnaire). Regular projects (1 to 2 years) should be geared towards one of the areas whereas Long-term projects (3-5 years) must address both: Wildlife Conservation Conduct in-situ field studies to enhance the understanding of the target species population, the condition of their habitats and the threats they face in the wild, and/or Collaborate with local communities, institutes and the government to formulate effective conservation management plans to preserve threatened species and their habitats, and/or Conduct ex-situ studies on the target species to promote and improve in-situ conservation efforts. Social Science-based Conservation Design and organise in-situ and ex-situ conservation education programmes to raise public awareness of wildlife conservation and to engage locals to change their daily activities and behaviour in support of conservation efforts, and/or Conduct capacity-building programmes or workshops to advance the nature reserve and conservation education teams' knowledge and skills for effective conservation action. Funding Strategy for 2025/26 The Foundation strives to allocate funding across a wide range of threatened species in both terrestrial and marine environments. Funding priority will be given to threatened Asian species listed in the IUCN Red List categories of Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable. Projects addressing species in the Data Deficient or Near Threatened categories will also be considered. To encourage local researchers in the host country to take the lead in conserving threatened species in their countries and to build local capacity, the majority of funding will be granted to projects with local researchers in the host country as Principal Investigators, whilst the remaining portion will support projects led by international institutes and research teams with the participation of local people. Funding priority will be given to projects aligned with one or more of the three main themes highlighted below, multiple themes are allowed. Theme 1: Climate Change Climate change is one of the most significant challenges to biodiversity conservation, yet its impacts on wildlife are still poorly understood. The Foundation encourages projects that aim to enhance our understanding of the effects of climate change on threatened wildlife and their habitats while generating local solutions to this global phenomenon. Preferred project areas include, but are not limited to, the following: Understanding the ecological impacts of climate change on threatened wildlife, such as shifts in species’ distribution patterns and changes in the timing of biological activities;Retaining critical habitats affected by climate change by enhancing existing protected areas or establishing new ones in response to shifts in species’ distribution;Investigating how wildlife and their habitats respond to climate change and developing effective restoration practices or conservation strategies;Assessing the effects of climate change mitigation on wildlife and ecosystem resilience, including how these measures threaten, maintain, or enhance ecosystem services. Theme 2: Marine Conservation Marine ecosystems provide a range of critical and undervalued ecosystem services that are fundamental to the health and stability of our society. However, overexploitation, pollution, and other forms of anthropogenic disturbances continued to threaten the marine wildlife of Asia. The Foundation welcomes projects that focuses on protecting our delicate marine environment. Relevant project areas include but are not limited to: Scientific studies that estimate the current status of target species and investigate threats to species survival with specific actions to mitigate such threats;Conservation and management of critical marine habitats such as coral reefs, mangroves, saltmarshes, mudflats/tidal flats, seagrass meadows, estuaries, kelp forests, and oyster reefs;Understanding and identifying impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on local wildlife and ecosystems such as marine debris, physical and chemical pollution; andInnovative solutions and programmes to alleviate threats against marine wildlife, including overexploitation and illegal trade of marine species. Theme 3: Endangered Terrestrial and Freshwater Wildlife Endangered Asian species continues to be imperilled by habitat loss, population decline, various forms of pollution, overharvesting, trafficking, and numerous other anthropogenic influences, which many scientists believe are leading up to the sixth mass extinction event. Given the complex yet sometimes specific conservation needs of each taxa, the Foundation encourages projects to proactively address conservation needs of threatened terrestrial and freshwater species in Asia through scientific studies, conservation programmes or public participation. Relevant project areas include but are not limited to: Scientific studies that estimate the current status of target species and investigate threats to species survival with specific actions to mitigate such threats;Identifying and retaining critical habitats by site protection and/or threat mitigation;Science-based species recovery and reintroduction programmes with monitoring of post-release success;Capacity building for and engagement in species/habitat protection by the local community through education programmes, campaigns, workshops, seminars, conferences and innovative alternative-livelihood programmes.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The Foundation solicits proposals worldwide, but the proposed work must be conducted in countries or regions in Asia according to United Nations Statistical Division plus Papua New Guinea.Coastal countries connected to Asia where funding is limited and with threatened wide-ranging Asian species (e.g. Far East Russian western gray whales), will be consideredPrincipal Investigator (PI), Deputy PI and Co-Investigator(s): Each applicant can submit only one application as the Principal Investigator of a project and act as PI in not more than two concurrent projects funded by the Foundation.Personnel expenses: The Foundation may consider providing subsidies only to local partners, such as research or field assistants. Student subsidy: The Foundation may support fieldwork expenses, i.e. transportation, travel, meals and accommodations

Ineligibility

The Foundation will not support projects with students as the PI, but they can be listed as Deputy PI or Co-Investigator.Salaries of PI and Deputy PI will not be supported.Tuition fees or living costs of students will not be supportedThe Foundation will not pay for administrative or management fees and other indirect costs from universities, research institutes and non-governmental organisations.