The World Conservation Union (IUCN), one of three Sustainability Institutes for the Alcoa Foundation Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship Programme, is calling for qualified mid-career conservation and sustainable development practitioners from NGOs to submit high-quality proposals for applied research in the following areas key to IUCN’s work:

Detailed Case Study of One or More Biodiversity Compensation Schemes
Exploring the Relationship between Alternative Forms of Energy and their Impacts on Biodiversity

Review and Synthesis of Corporate Biodiversity Management and Reporting Systems (including Indicators)

Biomimicry – The Use of Biological Systems to Help Design New Approaches to Sustainability

Biodiversity-Friendly Ways of Adapting to Climate Change

Established in October 2005, the five-year long Fellowship Programme is designed to provide a non-degree opportunity to conduct six months of research with mentoring from IUCN experts. Preference is given to projects that are designed and carried out in countries where Alcoa has operations. The Alcoa Foundation supports each fellow with a substantial stipend plus funding for annual meetings of the Fellows.


The scope of the program is broad and approved topics fall within the areas of Conservation of Fragile Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Climate Change and Energy, Sustainability, Livelihoods and Economic Growth and Integrating Sustainability into Public Policy and Governance. Other Sustainability Institutes involved in the Fellowship are WWF-USA and Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico. Please refer to the website for specific topics and application instructions.

Further information on the Fellowship requirements, including application forms and procedures, can be found on the program website http://www.alcoafoundationfellows.org.

The completed application should be sent to the Institute of International Education no later than February 14, 2008. Applications received after this date will not be accepted.

Individuals with queries about the Fellowship Programme are asked to contact:
Institute of International Education
Attn.: Alcoa Foundation Program
1400 K Street, NW, Suite 650, Washington, D.C. 20005
practitionerfellows@iie.org

Or alternatively to wendy.price@iucn.org.