Asian Elephant Conservation Fund | F18AS00045

Opportunity Information: Apply for F18AS00045

The Asian Elephant Conservation Fund is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant and cooperative agreement program under the Department of the Interior that supports on-the-ground and applied conservation work for the endangered Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) across the species range. It was created in response to the Asian Elephant Conservation Act, signed into law in 1997, which aimed to address the growing threats facing Asian elephants by funding effective conservation programs in range countries and backing projects led by organizations or individuals with demonstrated expertise in Asian elephant conservation. The program also aligns its priorities with the shared goals of the 13 Asian elephant range states as reflected in the Jakarta Declaration for Asian Elephant Conservation.

The fund is intended to support practical projects that measurably improve elephant conservation outcomes and protect or restore the habitats elephants rely on. Priority activities include applied research that directly informs management, such as population and habitat surveys, monitoring, and other field-based studies that answer specific, actionable questions. It also supports work that reduces the removal of elephants from the wild, reduces demand (including in consumer countries) for ivory and other elephant parts, and helps prevent illegal killing through anti-poaching strategies and strengthened enforcement. Additional focus areas include developing and implementing elephant conservation management plans, improving compliance with relevant treaties and national laws that regulate elephant take, trade, and habitat use, and strengthening protected area management in landscapes that are important to elephants.

A major emphasis is placed on strengthening protection for at-risk populations and reducing human-elephant conflict, recognizing that coexistence challenges are a key driver of elephant mortality and declining tolerance in many regions. The fund also prioritizes conservation education and community outreach, as well as broader capacity-building so that local institutions and practitioners can plan, implement, and sustain conservation programs over time. Cross-border (transfrontier) conservation is included as a supported activity, reflecting the reality that elephant ranges often span national boundaries. The program also funds efforts to build wildlife inspection, law enforcement, and forensics skills, which can improve the detection, investigation, and prosecution of illegal trade and poaching networks.

Beyond direct field interventions, the fund supports projects that improve the knowledge and decision-making of stakeholders who influence conservation outcomes. This includes legislators, educators, students, journalists, tourists, NGOs, and private sector actors, with the goal of strengthening their ability to positively shape wildlife conservation practices, policy, legislation, and financing, and to better harmonize these priorities with other national policy objectives. Projects are expected to take place within the Asian elephant range; however, work conducted outside the range may still be considered if the proposal clearly demonstrates direct relevance and benefit to Asian elephant conservation. Research proposals, in particular, are expected to be clearly tied to management needs and to address real-world threats, including emerging issues such as disease risks or changing poaching dynamics that affect elephants and their habitats.

Administratively, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F18AS00045; CFDA 15.621) is a discretionary funding program offering grants and cooperative agreements. The eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is generally open to many applicant types (subject to any additional eligibility notes in the full announcement). For the referenced cycle, the opportunity was posted December 1, 2017, with an original closing date of February 1, 2018. The listed award ceiling was up to $500,000, with an expected total of about 15 awards.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the agriculture, community development, education, environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Asian Elephant Conservation Fund" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.621.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 01, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 01, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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