Bat Conservation International invites proposals for 2012 Research Scholarship Program

Bat Conservation International (BCI) conducts and supports science-based conservation efforts around the world. Working with many partners and colleagues, these innovative programs combine research, education and direct conservation to ensure bats will be helping to maintain healthy environments and human economies far into the future.

Each year, BCI awards scholarships to help students at universities around the world conduct conservation-relevant research. The goal of this program is to support exceptionally talented students in research initiatives that will contribute the new knowledge that is essential to conserving bats and the ecosystems they serve worldwide.

Call for Proposals
In this context BCI is now accepting proposals for the 2012 Research Scholarship Program from eligible students around the world. The maximum one-year award per student is $5,000. It is hoped that these funds will open opportunities for matching grants from other conservation organizations, government agencies and private foundations, and that BCI’s support will grow in years to come.

Primary Areas of Research Need
A. Documentation of Bat Feeding Behavior
•        Insect eating
•        Pollination
•        Seed Dispersal

B. Documentation of Roosting Needs
•        Tree Roosts
•        Cave Roosts
•        Abandoned Mine Roosts
•        Development of Artificial Roosts

C. Finding Solutions to Bat Nuisance Problems
•        Nuisance Bats in Buildings
•        Fruit Damage
•        Vampire Control

D. Anthropogenic Impacts on Bats and their Habitats
•        Wind Energy Development
•        Environmental Contaminants

Eligibility Requirements
Students, enrolled in any college or university worldwide, are eligible to apply. Students who have applied in previous years to BCI’s Student Research Scholarship Program are eligible to reapply each subsequent year, whether they received a previous BCI grant or not. Non-students are not eligible.

All proposals to the Student Research Scholarship Program must be prepared by the applicant. While BCI will fund research that is part of a larger project, the student must personally research and develop the proposal. All funded projects must begin no later than December 31 of the year in which the award is received.

Last date for submission of proposals is December 15, 2011


For more information and details, you can visit this link.