Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) has funded graduate degrees and applied training for locally rooted conservationists since 2006. It runs three tracks: Conservation; Veterinary, for current and aspiring in-country wildlife vets; and Indigenous, for members of tribes within the United States.
The award follows the scholar to the master’s, doctoral or post-graduate training program they choose. Entry is only through a pre-approved nominator; the call opens each October and is not advertised.
Benefits & funding
- Up to US$25,000, paid in quarterly instalments across the academic program.
- Covers tuition, fees, books, housing and living costs, fieldwork costs and supplies, and travel to and from the permanent home.
- Each payment needs proof of enrollment and a summary of the last quarter’s spending; a final report with financial details closes the award.
- Mentoring from the nominator and WCN network events; alumni can get funding for internships.
Eligibility
- Conservation and Veterinary: a local national working in their home country or home region in Africa, Asia or Central/South America (overview PDF); the program page adds Eastern Europe, Latin America and unlisted “select other locations”.
- Indigenous: a member of an Indigenous tribe within the United States, studying through a US-based institution.
- At least 2–3 years of field conservation experience.
- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent; enrolled, or enrolling within a year, in a master’s, doctoral or post-graduate applied training program.
- Nominator: a WCN Partner, Fund Director or Expo guest speaker, a current WCS or WWF senior conservationist, a Whitley Award or Rufford 2nd Booster/Completion Grant recipient, or a Tusk-supported conservationist; Indigenous applicants may use other conservation professionals.
- Countries open for nationality and residence — Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Somaliland, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe; Asia: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen; Central/South and Latin America: Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti; Eastern Europe: Belarus, Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine; Indigenous track: USA.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire
+ 128 more
DR Congo · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · Somaliland · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Western Sahara · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Georgia · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Macau · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · North Korea · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Philippines · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · South Korea · Sri Lanka · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · UAE · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen · Mexico · Belize · Costa Rica · El Salvador · Guatemala · Honduras · Nicaragua · Panama · Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Ecuador · Guyana · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Uruguay · Venezuela · Cuba · Dominican Republic · Haiti · Belarus · Bulgaria · Czechia · Hungary · Moldova · Poland · Romania · Russia · Slovakia · Ukraine · USA
Residence required
Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire
+ 128 more
DR Congo · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · Somaliland · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Western Sahara · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Georgia · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Macau · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · North Korea · Oman · Pakistan · Palestine · Philippines · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · South Korea · Sri Lanka · Syria · Taiwan · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Türkiye · Turkmenistan · UAE · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen · Mexico · Belize · Costa Rica · El Salvador · Guatemala · Honduras · Nicaragua · Panama · Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Ecuador · Guyana · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Uruguay · Venezuela · Cuba · Dominican Republic · Haiti · Belarus · Bulgaria · Czechia · Hungary · Moldova · Poland · Romania · Russia · Slovakia · Ukraine · USA
Education required
Bachelor · Master Enrolled · Master · PhD Enrolled
Experience required
≥ 2 yrs
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Application process
- 1Choose the track and secure an eligible nominator; WCN accepts one nomination per nominator and per candidate.
- 2The nominator emails scholarship@wildnet.org with their contact details and nominator category to receive the materials.
- 3Each September WCN sends the online application and nomination forms to eligible nominators; the call is not public.
- 4Apply through the nominator in October.
- 5The Scholarship Committee reviews; awards are made by March of the following year.
Program timeline
forms go to eligible nominators.
September (yearly)
applications accepted through nominators.
October (yearly)
awards made.
By March of the following year