The Freshwater Biodiversity Information System for Africa (FBIS Africa) offers small grants of US$5,000 to US$10,000 to publish existing African freshwater biodiversity data that is not yet on GBIF. Funds cover data collation and digitisation, cleaning and quality control, georeferencing, metadata preparation and formatting. Eligible data holders include universities, research institutions, museums, government agencies, NGOs, freshwater programmes, and individual researchers working through an eligible host institution. Eligible groups are freshwater fishes, amphibians, molluscs, crustaceans, and the insect orders Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Megaloptera. Applications close on 09 November 2026. Link
research
AXA Foundation — Early-Career Research on Responsible Nature-Based Solutions
The AXA Foundation offers two-year grants of up to €140,000 to early-career researchers working on “Responsible Nature-Based Solutions for a Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Future”. Projects must be transdisciplinary, combining social sciences or humanities with natural sciences or engineering, and must partner with societal actors such as public authorities, NGOs or communities. For-profit companies cannot be partners. Only academic institutions and public research organisations can host, and the host institution submits the application on the researcher’s behalf. Expressions of interest close on 12 November 2026. (Note: Institutions not yet registered must register by 03 November 2026). Know more
University of Turku — Postdoctoral Fellowship
The University of Turku offers up to 10 three-year research positions in Finland, open to researchers from any discipline within the university’s five faculties (including Biodiversity and Sustainability). Candidates must have a PhD completed within the last eight years and meet the MSCA mobility rule (not having lived in Finland for more than 12 of the past 36 months). Fellows receive full salary funding to carry out their own research project. Applicants must apply online by 13 November 2026. TIES2 Postdoctoral Fellowship
UNESCO — Research Continuity Grants for Africa
UNESCO’s Science for Crisis Response and Solutions program opens its first pilot call for six institutional grants of up to US$2,000 each. The grants help African researchers resume or complete a defined part of natural-science research interrupted by armed conflict or a natural or biological hazard within the past three years. Applicants must be African nationals based at a recognised university or research institute in Africa. Funds cover consumables, local fieldwork, data collection and storage, minor equipment repair, and laboratory or open-access publication costs, for activities of up to six months. Applications close on 15 November 2026. Link to UNESCO
Global Biodiversity Information Facility — Publishing DNA-derived Data
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) funds projects that build or improve high-throughput pipelines for publishing and regularly updating DNA barcoding and metabarcoding biodiversity data through the GBIF network. The grant is up to €20,000 per project. Applicants must be a legal entity (research institution, university, museum, NGO or government agency) that is a registered GBIF data publisher. Field work, new data collection and lab work are not eligible. The deadline is 30 November 2026. Publishing DNA-derived Data
Campus France — Visiting Fellowship for Early Career Researchers
The Make Our Planet Great Again (MOPGA) initiative calls for applications from young researchers who wish to carry out their research in France. MOPGA intends to award 40 fellowships for a duration of 12 months with a monthly allowance of €2,500. Eligible research themes include climate change and energy transition. Foreign researchers must hold a doctoral degree for less than 5 years. The application period ends on 15 December 2026. MOPGA Visiting Fellowship
CIRES — Visiting Fellows Program
The CIRES Visiting Fellows Program invites early-career postdocs and senior scientists on sabbatical to engage in interdisciplinary environmental research at the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with CIRES and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Postdoctoral fellowships run for up to two years with an annual salary of US$70 thousand in the first year plus a research budget of up to US$8 thousand, relocation stipend, and provided laptop. Eligible applicants must be within four years of completing their PhD, hold a doctorate in a CIRES-relevant field, and have a CIRES researcher sponsor. Applications are due 21 December 2026 CIRES Visiting Fellows Program
KU Leuven — Global Minds Doctoral Scholarships Programme
KU Leuven is the largest university in Flanders, Belgium. As one part of its cooperation to advance international development, KU Leuven offers Global Minds Scholarships to candidates from developing countries. Global Minds is a ‘sandwich’ system, which means that 50% of the research takes place at KU Leuven and 50% at the home institution of the scholar. The scholarships have a duration of 48 months. The program also reimburses travel costs from the home country of the PhD student to Belgium. Online applications have to be completed before 04 February 2027. More about the application procedure
Rufford Foundation — Grants for Nature Conservation
The Rufford Foundation makes grants for nature conservation undertaken by small and medium-sized organizations for projects in the developing world. The Foundation prefers projects that are pragmatic, and that have a significant human element. There are no restrictions by nationality or country of residence. Grant applications are made in sequential stages: first grant, second grant, booster grants, and completion grant. Grants start at £7 thousand and increase to £18 thousand for projects that complete each stage. Applications can be submitted at any time. Instructions for Applicants
Wild Animal Initiative — Fellowships for Early-Career Wild Animal Welfare Scientists
WAI Fellowships support PhD students and postdocs who want research careers in wild animal welfare science. Fellows work with a WAI mentor for a three-month placement to turn their project idea into a full research plan, then complete the project with their academic supervisor. Grants run up to US$100,000 a year for up to three years, with a guaranteed stipend of at least US$50,000 a year (up to US$75,000 to match local postdoc pay). Applications close on 31 October 2026. Link