About
Changes in climate and extreme weather events have already begun to affect biodiversity across the globe. Climate change also magnifies the impacts of other threats like habitat destruction, overexploitation, and disease. The increasing number of weather-related disasters has profound consequences on the natural environment as people can cause unintended damage to ecosystems as they seek to rebuild their communities. From more frequent bleaching events affecting corals to increased water scarcity driving human-wildlife conflict, these trends will become more pronounced in years to come.
WWF is committed to helping the field of conservation adapt to climate change, while ensuring that communities and governments make environmentally responsible, climate-informed decisions in their efforts to build climate resilience. We work not only with conservationists, but with partners in many fields including disaster management, sustainable development and public health. Due to the rapid pace of change, conservation needs to increase the number of experts who
understand how the climate is changing, how this change affects biodiversity, and what we can do to help both nature and people adapt.
To build capacity among conservationists and those working in related fields, WWF’s Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program (EFN) is offering fellowships to emerging leaders who are able to make significant contributions to helping people and nature adapt to a changing climate.
Focus Areas
To quickly advance knowledge and expertise in the most urgent areas of need, successful candidates will focus their studies and research on one or more of the following areas:
- Climate science, climatology and climate modeling, particularly as it relates to conservation
- Climate change impacts on wildlife
- Impacts of human responses to climate change on biodiversity
- Ecological and social-ecological resilience to climate change
- Ecosystem-based adaptation and ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
- Adaptation for protected areas
- Environment and disaster management
- Natural and nature-based techniques to flood risk management
- Communicating climate science for conservation
Eligibility Criteria
- You must be a citizen and legal permanent resident of an eligible country
- You must have at least two years of work or research experience in conservation or a field with strong relationships to conservation such as sustainable development or disaster management
- You must have a demonstrated commitment to either working in or contributing to conservation in an eligible country.
- Your research or academic program must address one of the focus areas listed
- You must be enrolled in, admitted to, or have applied to a master’s or PhD program anywhere in the world.
- You must plan to begin your studies no later than January 2018
- You must commit to working for at least two years in your home country after the completion of your degree
- You must not have received a Train Fellowship or Scholarship in the past
- You must contact EFN if you are a WWF employee, consultant, or previous EFN grant recipient
- You must submit all required documents by the application deadline
Selection Process
Train Fellows are selected through a competitive, merit-based process. An independent, interdisciplinary panel of experts is convened in each country to review applications and to identify the top candidates based on the following criteria:
- Professional qualifications as evidenced by previous and current conservation-related positions, references from colleagues in the field, publications, and other sources
- Demonstrated leadership through involvement in community and volunteer activities, the workplace, local and national government, and other areas
- Prior academic achievement as shown by grades, academic awards, and references from professors
- Motivation and commitment to contribute to conservation in a participating country and to share what is learned with others in their field and in their home communities
- Potential impact of proposed study/research on conservation efforts in the home country or region
Application
You may access the application for all Train Fellowship via original web page. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2017 by 11:59pm EST.
New users will be required to create a new account in the application system. New user instructions can be found in the original web page.
For more information please click on "Further official information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.worldwildlife.org/projects/russell-e-train-fellowships