The Kleinhans Fellowship for Community Forestry Research is run by the Rainforest Alliance. It funds research that tackles problems community forest enterprises themselves identify.
Fellows carry out two years of participatory field research in Central or South America on one of four topics: markets for lesser-known species and non-timber products, biodiversity management, social organization and governance, or multi-community enterprises and finance.
Benefits & funding
- US$20,000 per year for two years (called both a grant and a stipend).
- Does not pay academic tuition or fees, or unnecessary or unreasonable vehicles or equipment.
- Duties at the end: a workshop with community members and regional Rainforest Alliance staff, a final report for a general audience, and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Eligibility
- Any nationality or residence.
- Must be working toward a graduate degree in forestry, ecology, botany, environmental science or a related field; doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers are preferred, and relevant experience can substitute for higher-level degrees.
- Research must take place in Central or South America (“Latin America” on the Spanish and Portuguese pages); the English page names Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil in particular.
Application process
- 1Prepare a proposal of up to seven pages, a budget, a CV, and a list of past, current and potential funding sources for you and the project.
- 2Arrange two letters of recommendation.
- 3Submit in English, Spanish or Portuguese by email to Elena Degli Innocenti or by post to the Rainforest Alliance in New York, by February 28, 2027.
Program timeline
Applications open
Aug 31, 2026
Application deadline (the Spanish page’s application list says 28 February 2026; its header says 2027)
Feb 28, 2027