Tropical Biology Association

Information

Bulletin board

For the latest conservation news and  opportunities in Africa

This e-bulletin is designed to supplement the TBA Funding database by posting the most recent opportunities and announcements as they come in. In particular, it focuses on current job vacancies and funding sources for conservation biologists. The bulletin also posts information on the progress of TBA national groups. The groups are organised by the alumni to promote interaction between their members and the entire TBA network. They provide a forum for the alumni to share ideas and experiences after the courses. Alumni who wish to update their details with the TBA can fill in the alumni updates form and send it to alumni@tropical-biology.org.

Short Courses

Kinship conservation fellows: 22 Jun -23 Jul, 2010, Bellingham, Washington

Offers a month long leadership programme in environmental economics; conservation planning and natural resource management for people with at least 5 years work in conservation. Visit http://www.kinshipfellows.org/ for more.

Closing date: 18th January 2010

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World Forest Institute International Fellowship Program: Oregon, USA

Fellowship targets professionals in natural resources from around the world to conduct a practical research at the World Forestry Center. Download Fellowship brochure for details.

Application deadline: Applications accepted year- round

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Darwin Scholarship Programme: Field Studies Council, UK, 13- 23 Aug 2010

Applications are invited for these Scholarships to study Monitoring and Communicating Biodiversity at the Preston Montford Field Centre, Shrewsbury. Click here for more info.

Closing date: 8th January 2010

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Conferences and Symposia

ESEA conference: 19th - 21st May 2010, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

The 3rd annual conference of the Ecological Society for Eastern Africa themed ‘Climate Change and Natural Resource use in Eastern Africa: Impacts, adaptations and mitigation’ will be held at the University’s Conference Center. See call for papers and student presentation competition.

Closing dates: 15th March 2010 (Abstracts); 3rd April 2010 (Full papers)

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Cross-cutting News

Birds

Decline of Population of migratory waterbirds- reported at the 4th meeting of parties of the African-Eurasian Waterbirds Agreement (AEWA) and 20 waterbird species added to annex 2 of AEWA

Leading conservation Blogs

Wildlife Direct- News and information on saving endangered animals in Africa, Asia and South America.

Convention on Biological Diversity- Useful headline news, current information and events concerning Biological diversity.

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Scientific resources

Open access online journals

The following journals provide free online papers but also may provide opportunities for you to publish peer reviewed work.

The African Journal of Plant Science- Publishes peer-reviewed high-quality solicited and unsolicited articles, in all areas of plant science research.

Aluka- A digital library of scholarly resources from and about Africa affiliated with JSTOR. Offered free to non profit institutions and individuals in Africa.

Journal of Ecology and Natural Environment- Published monthly by Academic Journals.

The Journal of Medicinal Plant Research- Provides rapid monthly publication of articles in all areas of research in Medicinal Plants.

Madagascar Conservation & Development Journal- Published by the Madagascar Wildlife Conservation and the Jane Goodall Institute, the journal covers work from the Madagascar region.

Oryx- The International Journal of Conservation- Provides links to free software tools for analysis and writing, guidance on submitting an article for the peer review, and ways in which readers in developing countries can access the journal for free.

Public Library of Science- Provides free access journal articles.

The Royal Society Digital Journal Archive- Dates back to 1665 and contains around 65,000 articles. Find out more at http://publishing.royalsociety.org/archive.

Scopus- Contains a large abstract and citation database of research literature and quality web sources. It is sold at an annual subscription fee to institutions.

Society for Conservation Biology- SCB publishes Conservation Biology, Conservation in Practice and Biological Conservation journals with free access for members in developing countries.

Journal of pollination ecology- Provides a forum to disseminate new ideas, novel research and manuscripts.

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Online books

Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation- Contains a systematic review on the use of development as a conservation tool.

GOFC-GOLD REDD sourcebook- Contains methods and procedures for monitoring, measuring and reporting on REDD

Gratis books scheme- Provides free ecology and conservation books to individuals

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Research registries and ideas

Guide to where to publish conservation research- A hand book of journals that publish conservation science

WWF Research Registry- Contains a list of 50-60 research projects that WWF is interested in seeing accomplished. Many of the projects are appropriate for Masters level thesis projects or graduate level course work.

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Species Red lists

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species- Updated annually

National Red Lists- A new focal point for national red lists and action plans. This worldwide red list is not part of the IUCN Red List of threatened species

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Scholarships and Awards

Erasmus Mundus International Masters Program in Geospatial Technologies

Offers scholarships for holders of Bachelor degrees in areas of Geographic Information such as Geography, Environmental Planning, Agriculture and Forestry. For further information, visit http://geotech.uni-muenster.de/

Closing date: 15th January 2010

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MSc Climate Change and Policy: University of Sussex

Scholarships are available targeting students with an upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in either social or natural sciences. For more information see brochure.

Closing date: 1st May 2010

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China Scholarships for International Graduate Students 2010

Are supported by the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) and provides for prospective international students to study for Master or Doctoral Degrees in top universities in China. For more information see details or visit website

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Master’s Scholarship for Tanzania Students: University of Edinburgh, UK

The Julius Nyerere Master’s Scholarship is tenable for one academic year and will cover the full overseas tuition fee for any course offered by the University, living costs and a return flight from Tanzania to the UK. See website for more info.

Closing date: 1st April 2010

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Blue Ventures Conservation Malagasy Scholarship

The scholarship is to build Madagascar's capacity for coastal management and marine conservation. For more information please click here

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Masters in conservation leadership: University of Cambridge

This full-time, one-year, masters course is designed for graduates with five or more years of experience in conservation. For more details please visit website

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UNESCO-Japan Research Fellowships Programme 2010 Scholarships

The program targets students with a Master’s degree from developing countries . See details. For further information visit Website

Closing Date: 8th January 2010

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Coastal Science Assistantship: Louisiana State University (LSU)

Applications are invited for a graduate research assistantship position at Master's level available starting fall 2009 in the School of Renewable Natural Resources. To apply see details

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Graduate Scholarships: Australian National University

Tenable at the Crawford School of Economics and Government, the scholarship focuses on Masters level studies in the areas of Environmental Management and Development and Climate Change. Click here for more information.

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Women’s Postdoctoral Research Fellowships: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply through one of ICRAF's five Regional Coordinators or six Global Research Project Leaders identified in the application form. Applications can also be made via email: icrafhru@cgiar.org. More>>.

Applications are considered throughout the year.

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NTNU PhD Fellowships in Natural Sciences and Technology, Norway

Applications are invited for 39 PhD positions and 3 Post doc positions awarded on a competitive basis. The fellowships are open to applicants in all areas of research covered by the faculty. See more. Further information on the faculty is available at Website

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The Leverhulme- Royal Society Africa Awards

A scheme that provides funding for UK - Ghana/Tanzania bilateral research collaborations in biodiversity and renewable energy, aiming at enhancing the skill set in the African laboratory. For more information visit website

Closing Date: 1st February 2010

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Jobs, volunteerships and internships

Agricultural Communications Expert for Information Management: Bioversity International

The position is based in Bujumbura, Burundi and requires a person with a degree in agricultural economics or biology and an additional qualification in information technology. More details here.

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Project Director: Nouabalé- Ndoki Park Project, Republic of Congo

Reporting to the WCS-Congo Director, the selected person will coordinate conservation activities in NNNP and the surrounding landscape. Interested candidates should send cover letter and CV and/or requests for detailed terms of reference to Paul Telfer, with copies to Pamela Watim. See details>>

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Program Manager: World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

A qualified individual is sought to lead and coordinate the Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group (ABCG) to explore emerging and high priority themes and linkages affecting biodiversity conservation in Africa. See more>>. Submit cover letter and resume here

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Senior Logistics Coordinator: WCS, Southern Sudan

Applicants are sought for this full-time position in the Boma-Jonglei Landscape program that will entail procurement, logistical support to field operations and programs, and oversight of contractors and construction projects. See details. For more information about WCS and its Southern Sudan Program visit Website

Position open untill filled

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AHEAD Coordinator: Wildlife Conservation Society

Qualified candidates are sought to take up this position in the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA). See details. For more information please visit the AHEAD Program and WCS websites.

Position open until filled

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Internships: Conservation International (CI)

Several internships are available for graduate and undergraduate students who will contribute to various projects in conservation science, policy and outreach, sustainable business practices, and environmental stewardship. Required hours are project-dependent and will be negotiated between student and mentor. See more>>

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AFRICOM-L Internship

Applications are invited for a one year internship offered by the African World Heritage Fund at the Nordic World Heritage Foundation in Oslo, Norway beginning May 2010. Click here for details.

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Volunteer Opportunities, Birdlife International

There are opportunities to volunteer at the BirdLife International global secretariat in Cambridge, working in the Science department on data-entry, research and other tasks to support science work. If you are interested, please send a CV and cover letter to science@birdlife.org

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Tracking Africa’s most venomous snake – the black mamba

Interested researchers or volunteers are sought to participate in a black mamba project that involves tracking individual snakes or similar field work. Visit: Website or See attached Details>>

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Grants

2009-2010 Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund Educational Grants

These grants are open for students from developing countries currently studying in the US or Canada. Application forms will be available online from November 2, 2009. For more details please visit Website

Applications deadline: 18th February 2010

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Google Grants Scheme

Applications are invited for the Google’s Geo Challenge Grants aimed at providing nonprofits with the impetus and resources they need to take advantage of powerful and exciting online mapping tools. More info at: http://blog.google.org/2008/10/introducing-googleorg-geo-challenge.html

Applications can be made at any time of the year

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Small Grants for the Purchase of Nature

These grants support local NGOs in the strategic purchase of threatened or vulnerable pieces of nature with the aim to conserve biodiversity in the long term. For more details please visit http://www.iucn.nl/funds/

Application deadline: 1st May 2010

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UNESCO-Keizo Obuchi Fellowship

Applications from young researchers in developing countries are invited for these grants. For more details click here or visit Website

Application deadline: 8th January 2010

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Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation Research Programme.

A call for proposals is on for this research aimed at improving an understanding of ecosystems services for poverty reduction, particularly in context of climate change. For more information about how to apply see: programmes or research for development

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Starter Investigator Research Grant (SIRG)

The Department of Biology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, is looking for early-stage researchers interested in applying for the SIRG. See Details>>. For further information please go to Website. Replies must be made to james.o.mcinerney@nuim.ie

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The Opportunities Fund for urban youth-led development: UN-HABITAT

Applications are open for this grant which provides resources for projects addressing adequate shelter and secure tenure, employment, environment, security and good governance for the urban poor. See details. For information on the Fund, visit website.

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The RGS Bursaries

A small number of bursaries are available to support young researchers from Ecuador, Indonesia and Uganda involved in field programmes. See more. Details at Website. It is aimed at those wanting to undertake field research and grants / bursaries are available up to about £2000.

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University of Cambridge Support for Joint Conservation Research Projects

The Isaac Newton Trust is willing to co-finance collaborative conservation science projects involving Cambridge University researchers and locally-based practitioner organizations. Cambridge University members can access the information at Website .See more details here>>

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Young Explorers Grants Program for Young Scientists

These grants offered by the National Geographic are available for individuals ages 18 to 25 to help them fund projects in the fields of science, conservation and environmental studies, in major fields of study such as Anthropology, Archaeology, Astronomy, Biology, Geography, Oceanography, and Paleontology. Information on grant applications is available at Website

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Prince Bernhard Scholarships

Documentation for the 2009 Prince Bernhard Scholarships is now posted on the website at www.panda.org/scholarships

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Scientists Fellowship Program: African Forest Research Network

The African Forest Research Network, a network of African forest research scientists is operating research grants scheme with the aim of promoting and strengthening individual scientists’ research capacity. The call for proposal covers the following two programs:
Junior Scientists Fellowship Programme ;Senior Scientists Fellowship Programme

The closing dates for submission of applications and proposals are 31st March and 30th September of each year

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Research/Scientific Meeting Grants: TWAS

The Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) provides Research Grants in Basic Sciences in the fields of Biology. It also offers Grants for Scientific Meetings held in developing countries. The Research Grant amounts to US$10,000 and is provided for a period of one year. Details

Deadlines for receipt of applications are 1 July and 1 December of each year.

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Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation (RSGs)

RSG's are available to individuals and small groups yearly. Applications can be made at any time of the year, decisions are usually made within three months. They generally support projects of about a year's duration. Applications from non-first world areas are strongly encouraged. Further details>>

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Other useful links to conservation news and opportunities

The TBA funding database has information on funding and grant opportunities. Useful website for finding job vacancies, scholarships and funding opprtunities in Africa include:

The European Tropical Forest Research Network

The Primate Info website

The African Conservation Foundation

Advance Africa- Website with a wide range of jobs, undergraduate, Masters and PhD scholarship opportunities

Greenbelt-Africa- Website with a listing of scholarships, grants, jobs & internships relevant for African students

Birdlife African Partnership quarterly Newsletter- Posts news and opportunities on conservation.

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Acknowledgement of Contributors

Some of the opportunities posted were sent in by: Kowiyou Yessoufou, Caroline Lumosi, Caroline Gibson, Ibrahim Bakarr, Paul Ndanganga, Wanja Kinuthia, Josephine Nzilani, Doris Mwanzia and SciDev.Net.

If you have any contributions, we would be grateful if you sent them to alumni@tropical-biology.org

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TBA deadlines and events

TBA Courses

The 2010 courses will be held in Uganda, Tanzania and Madagascar. Applications are now open. More information on the TBA courses is available here

TBA Newsletter, 2009

The 2009 newsletter is available here

TBA Postgraduate Scholarships and Small Grants for alumni

Deadlines for applications for the two fundings has been moved from 30th June to 30th April each year. Separate announcements will be made at the beginning of each year. For inquiries contact alumni@tropical-biology.org

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TBA alumni groups

TBA alumni in various areas have grouped together and created alumni associations. If you wish to get further information on the association in your country please find the contacts below. In case there is no such a group in your home country and you wish to start one, don't hesitate to contact the TBA alumni desk for guidance.

Established Groups

Benin

Country Co-ordinator: Kowiyou Yessoufou (02/2, Kibale) kyessoufou@yahoo.fr
Assistant coordinator: Nadine WOROU/Ulysse KOROGONI (05/4, Kirindy) staulysse@yahoo.fr
Organizing secretary: Etotepe SOGBOHOSSOU (04/1, Naivasha) etotepe@yahoo.com

The Benin TBA alumni group (BTAG) held its first reunion on 15th October 2007, at the Institute of Applied Biological Sciences (ISBA) at Cotonou, Benin. The alumni shared experiences of the unforgettable times spent during the different TBA courses they attended, how they benefited from the course and their career progress. The group came up with a plan of its activities which included; contributing to sustainable natural resources management through research activities, participation to scientific seminars and conferences, participation to national and international days through actions towards sustainable use of natural resources and environment protection, publicize TBA courses in Benin and creation of a mailing list of jobs and other opportunities. The 1st list of opportunities has been shared with the TBA as a contribution to the online funding database and the bulletin board. Minutes of the meeting are available here

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Cameroon

Country Co-ordinator: Godwin Ade Tanda (TBA 04/4, Kirindy) godytanda@yahoo.fr or CATBAA@yahoogroups.com

It really took a long time to observe that the TBA alumni from Cameroon were not very fortunate for most of the follow-up programmes including scholarships. This was probably caused by their inability to meet as a constituent group. The alumni meeting held in Accra Ghana in 2004 highlighted the different follow-up support opportunities and targets. This meeting became the key starter in the conception of CATBAA. Currently, most of its members are working or studying out of the country, the group strives to be an umbrella of many conservation efforts from many parts of the country where each of its members is represented. Legalising the association in the country has been a challenge but modalities are being proposed for start up contributions towards legalisation of CATBAA.Webpages: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CATBAA. Email address: catbaa@yahoo.co.uk

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Ethiopia

Country Coordinator:(TBA 05/3, Amani) Tariku Hunduma tarikuh2002@yahoo.com
Assistant Coordinator: Hayal Desta (TBA 05/2 Kibale)
Secretary: Bruktawit Abdu (TBA 07/4 Kirindy) tawit_abdu@yahoo.com

July 1st 2006: First re-union meeting of Nigeria TBA Alumni (NTBA), University of Ibadan. 9 alumni present met for the first time to share experiences during and after TBA. View minutes of this meeting here.

June 16th 2007: Second reunion themed “Biodiversity and Climate Change”.

The slogan of the reunion was “Climate Change is real! Conserve, Adapt, Mitigate”. Talk given on Career and self development (available in audio tape on request from the coordinator). Lecture titled “Climate Change: Critical issues and options” also delivered by the NTBA Coordinator. Featured also were various contributions from the alumni in attendance. Reunion concluded by “preaching the gospel” of biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources.

April 28th 2009: Maiden Seminar themed “Capacity Development and Career Prospects in Conservation Science”, University of Ibadan.

About 200 students and upcomimg young professionals studying Conservation and related disciplines in Nigeria tertiary institutions attended. Topics discussed include: Biodiversity conservation; Climate change; Conservation education; Millenium development goals; Role of biodiversity NGOs in conservation science and selected TBA courses projects by Nigerians. Awards were also given to the best three student presentations.Click here for a brief seminar report and view Seminar Proceedings>>. Plans are underway for such seminars to be held annually.

Achievements

Many of the NTBA alumni are now recipients of various international Scholarships to study abroad; Fellowships and Research grants; and are also executives, workers and members of renowned conservation organizations all over the world, thereby finding their way into communities of great scientists and making positive impacts!

Contacts

• For more about NTBA visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NTBA.

• To share ideas with group members, e-mail NTBA@yahoogroups.com