The Association of Commonwealth Universities offers seven grants of up to £2,000 each, helping early-career researchers attend conferences in other Commonwealth countries. The grants cover registration fees, flights, accommodation, visas, and travel and health insurance. Applicants must be early-career academics at an ACU member university, within seven years of starting their academic career. They must be chairing a session or presenting a paper or poster at an in-person conference in a Commonwealth country other than the one where they work. The conference must take place between January 2027 and January 2028. The deadline is 13 October 2026. Conference Grants
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Conservation Leadership Programme — Grants for Early-Career Conservationists
The Conservation Leadership Programme offers early-career conservationists project grants of up to US$15 thousand, plus ongoing support from its alumni network, including funding, training and mentorship. Projects must protect globally important at-risk habitats and species through ecological research and conservation action. Themes include climate adaptation, biodiversity, habitat restoration, community-led conservation, human-wildlife conflict, policy, and education or citizen science. Teams must have at least three members, all with no more than five years of professional conservation experience. All members must be nationals of the country where the project takes place. Concept notes are due by 30 October 2026. Link to the Conservation Leadership Program
Wild Animal Initiative — Research Grants
Wild Animal Initiative invites academic researchers to apply for Validation Grants, Welfare Ecology Grants, or Seed Grants supporting research that advances wild animal welfare science, alongside WAI Fellowships for early-career researchers. Principal investigators must be affiliated with a university or research institution, and any fieldwork must include collaborators who are residents of the country where it takes place; NGO-managed projects require registration in that country. WAI cannot sponsor visas, so work carried out in the United States by a non-US resident generally cannot be funded, and it cannot fund research in countries under US sanctions, such as Iran, North Korea, or Russia. The deadline is 31 October 2026. Wild Animal Research Grants
Dalai Lama Fellows — Mentorship for Emerging Leaders
The Dalai Lama Fellowship offers emerging leaders from all around the world mentorship and coaching to design and implement their own original field projects addressing a global challenge. Project areas include environmental sustainability, among others. The fellowship does not offer funding for projects, instead, it offers coaching and a global community. This program is open to next-generation leaders (20-35 years old). The deadline for applications is 11 November 2026. Dalai Lama Fellows
Mo Ibrahim Foundation — Leadership Fellowships
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation invites young African professionals, mid-career and new executives to apply for a 12-month fellowship working in the executive office of the African Development Bank, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, or the International Trade Centre, with a stipend of $100,000, direct mentorship from the host organisation’s head, and lifelong membership in the Foundation’s Now Generation Network. Applicants must be African nationals with at least 7 years of relevant work experience, a master’s degree, and be under 40, or under 45 for women with children. Each host institution runs its own separate application process. The deadline is 20 November 2026. Link to Mo Ibrahim Foundation
Aspire Institute — Leaders Program for First-generation University Students
The Aspire Leaders Program provides academic and professional development resources to students who are from backgrounds of social and financial adversity. All applicants must be between the ages of 18-26, come from a low-income background and be the first generation to attend university. Through the program, students will gain access to fully-funded HarvardX courses and participate in live seminars with Harvard University. Eligibility extends to students from all around the world as long as they are enrolled in an undergraduate program or have recently graduated (within three years). The application deadline is 30 November 2026. Aspire Leaders Program
Mercedes-Benz — beVisioneers Fellowship
Mercedes-Benz invites young environmental innovators to apply for beVisioneers, a two-year fellowship combining innovation training, venture coaching, mentorship, and project scholarships of up to €15,000, along with a needs-based cost-of-living stipend and financial support for participation costs like laptops or internet access. Applicants must be aged 18 to 28 on the application closing date, reside in an eligible country for at least 9 months of the fellowship year, and implement their project in that same country. The deadline is 31 January 2027. beVisioneers
Kellogg School of Management — Sustainable Investing Challenge
The Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge invites teams of graduate students from around the world to develop and pitch creative financial approaches and solutions to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges. Graduate students from around the world are invited to participate. The overall winning team receives US$10 thousand and the runner-up receives US$5 thousand. Teams must register in advance to request a mentor that gives them feedback on their proposal prior to submission. The deadline for submission of project ideas is 14 February 2027. Sustainable Investing Challenge
Marine Stewardship Council — Science and Research Fund
The MSC’s Science and Research Fund supports research projects addressing the barriers that MSC-certified fisheries face in maintaining certification, such as bycatch reduction, marine habitat protection, or climate change impacts. Grants reach up to £50,000 over up to two years. Applicants first submit an Expression of Interest before a full application. The deadline is 18 October 2026. Science and Research Fund
Bat Conservation International — Student Research Scholarships for Bat Conservation
Bat Conservation International (BCI) requests proposals from student researchers seeking financial support for bat conservation research projects. Research may focus on human-caused environmental changes (such as land development or climate change on bats), bat-human conflicts (such as hunting, roost disturbance, and persecution), or behavioral or ecological questions that aid the protection of a bat species. The geographical scope is Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and its adjacent islands; and globally. BCI anticipates granting up to US$3,000 each. Additional funding is available through special awards. The scholarship is only open to students who are registered with a recognized academic institution. The application deadline is 31 October 2026. Link to Bat Conservation International