Kleinhans Fellowship Program for Community Forestry Research

Deadline Date: February 28, 2025

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 Donor Name: Rainforest Alliance

 Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000

https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/in-the-field/kleinhans-fellowship

Applications are now open for Kleinhans Fellowship Program for research that is oriented toward solving real-world problems.

Research Topics

• Markets for lesser-known species and non-timber forest products (NTFPs): Most community forestry products are unlikely to reach international markets, but domestic markets in many tropical forest countries are being flooded with illegal wood products, making it hard for legitimate operations especially CFEs to compete.
• Biodiversity management practices: The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management standard requires practices that conserve biodiversity, such as the protection of High Conservation Value Forests and the creation of riparian buffers. The Kleinhans Fellowship supports research that explores the feasibility of implementing such practices at the community level and their effects on the economic viability of CFEs.
• Social organization and governance: Technical assistance programs are often limited in their ability to invest in organizational capacity building. The fellowship supports research that investigates modes of social organization and highlights both problems and innovative, replicable solutions for CFE governance.
• Multi-community enterprises: Without access to financing, CFEs often get mired in debt, are beholden to high-risk, high-cost lenders and cannot invest in developing their businesses.

Award Information

• The fellowship provides a grant of $20,000 (US) per year for two years.

Geographical Location

• Researchers of any nationality or residence are eligible for the Kleinhans Fellowship; however, the research itself must be conducted in Latin America.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must have a master’s degree in forestry, ecology, botany, environmental science or an appropriate related field. Doctoral candidates or post-doctoral researchers are preferred, although applicants may substitute relevant experience for higher-level degrees.

Application Requirements

• Applications will be accepted starting six months before the deadline:
  • A proposal that does not exceed seven typed pages in length. The proposal should include an abstract, a review of the relevant literature, detailed methodology and a discussion of the project’s practical applications
  • A budget
  • A copy of the candidate’s curriculum vitae or resume
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • A list of past, current and potential funding sources for both the applicant and the project

For more information, visit Rainforest Alliance.