Promoting Conservation, Protecting Species
The Chicago Zoological Society administers the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Endangered Species Fund, which supports conservation-oriented research. The grant attracts dozens of innovative research projects each quarter, and the most promising of these are awarded funding.
New Proposals: CBOT Endangered Species Fund
Deadline: March 12, 2009
(early submissions welcome)
Please note stricter Submission Guidelines in attached document.
The Chicago Zoological Society is soliciting new proposals for the Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund for the first grant cycle of 2009.
In general, the CBOT Committee wishes to have grant funds applied to the following types of actions: Projects that will assist directly in the protection of populations of threatened and endangered species; or a specific habitat that is of high biological value or that is substantially threatened (IUCN Red List Status).
This includes projects that will quantitatively assess population and environmental status with indications of best conservation strategy; projects that will help achieve sustainable relations between local people, and the species of concern. The development of educational projects and training that assist in building local conservation capacity are given higher priority.
Grants are open to SSC Specialist Group Chairs and Officers, AZA/WAZA Chairs and Officers, and all interested researchers. Each group should select and submit only one proposal that has been ranked as the highest funding priority and endorsed by the group. The Fund will support small projects usually up to $5,000 (smaller requests will fare better).
Please see attached documents for stricter grant application format and review criteria details.
Please download these documents for the full grant application format and review criteria details:
Proposals should be submitted via e-mail to:
Carla Owens
Manager, Library Services & Archives, CZS CBOT ESF Administrator
cbotesf@czs.org
The grantees for the final quarter of 2007 were:
Chromosomal determination of species and identity and gender
Lead Researcher: Jean Dubach, Conservation Sciences, Genetics, Chicago Zoological Society
Grant: $1,950 proposal to purchase microscope for enlarging, photographing, and printing chromosomes for detailed chromosome analysis.
Humboldt Penguins
Lead Researcher: Jennifer Langan, Veterinary Medicine, Chicago Zoological Society
Grant: $5,000 for continued long-term monitoring health assessment of the Humboldt penguin population in Punta San Juan, Peru, including disease surveys and nutritional studies with direct implications for successful conservation efforts.
Development of a Welfare Monitoring Tool for Wildlife
Lead Researcher: Nadja Wielebnowski, Conservation Science, and Jessica Whitham, Behavioral Endocrinology, Chicago Zoological Society
Grant: $4,680 project to develop, validate, and test a welfare monitoring tool for several species of mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Baseline Information for Conservation and Management of Cetaceans in Guatemala
Lead Researcher: Ester Quintana-Rizzo, Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Tim Gerrodette, NOAA/NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and Randall Wells, Chicago Zoological Society
Grant: $4,790 to conduct the first ever comprehensive study to examine the status of cetacean species in the Pacifica Exclusive Economic Zone of Guatemala.
Okapi Conservation Project
Lead Researcher: Steve Shurter, Gilman International Conservation Foundation, and Ann Petric, Chicago Zoological Society
Grant: $5,000 to support the Okapi Conservation Project, an in situ conservation project in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo started 20 years ago by GIC.
Evaluation of Consistency of Skin Antimicrobial Peptides Over Time in the Panamanian Golden Frog
Lead Researcher: Pam Dennis, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and Brandon Sheafor, Mount Union College
Grant: $3,000 to analyze antimicrobial peptides secreted by frogs to determine if individually identified frogs produce AMPs of the same peptide type and quantity over time.
Habitat Use and Activity Patterns of the Maned Wolf
Lead Researcher: Lucia Soler, Universidad Nacional del Sur
Grant: $3,000 to gather information about the elusive, solitary maned wolf and other sympatric canid in Argentina by studying habitat, activity patterns, and human relationships to wild canid.
Survey of Montane Forest Anurans in South East Peru
Lead Researcher: Alessandro Catenazzi, University of California at Berkeley
Grant: $4,500 to establish a frog species monitoring program in the Montane Forest of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Southeastern Peru, collecting data on frog species diversity, density and biomass, and rates of chytrid infection.
Conservation of Striped Hyaena in Khojir National Park
Lead Researcher: Morteza Eslami, Iranian Cheetah Society, and Kaveh Hatami, Iranian Cheetah Society
Grant: $4,900 to establish a scientific base of knowledge on one of the least known large carnivore species, to begin to develop a conservation ecosystem-based strategy for Khojir National Park and to seek to develop solutions for hyaena–human conflicts over poaching.
Description of the Recently Rediscovered and Critically endangered Sira Curassow as a Valid Species
Lead Researcher: Melvin Gastanag and Ross MacLeod, Armonia, BirdLife Bolivia
Grant: $3,600 to make an overall scientific and conservation assessment of the Sira curassow, produce the first sound recordings and vocal descriptions and, through fieldwork, describe the Sira curassow population based on morphological, vocal, and behavioral differences.
Conservation and Management of Elephants in Kafia-Shiraro Proposed National Park, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Lead Researcher: Jeheskel Shoshani, Addis Ababa University and Yirmed Demeke, Institute of Biodiversity Conservation,
Grant: to monitor the elephant population and its movements, and gather data to assist in overall management plans of the national park.