Grants 2024: Earth Journalism Network (EJN) Biodiversity Media Grants

Introduction to the Earth Journalism Network Biodiversity Media Grants

Applications are now being accepted for the Earth Journalism Network Biodiversity Media grants. The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) of Internews is providing three to four grants, each worth 10,000 to 12,000 euros, to organizations to support initiatives that improve media coverage of biodiversity-related issues.

The rate of biodiversity loss is higher than it has ever been in human history. Overexploitation, changing land uses, and habitat loss are some of the primary causes of this extraordinary and disastrous decline in biodiversity. Biodiversity is necessary for food, water, medicine, and human well-being in addition to regulating climate change and maintaining clean air.

Numerous global and multilateral organizations strive to put into effect and oversee accords that hold governments responsible for the depletion of biodiversity occurring within their borders. One such agreement is the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which attempts to stop additional natural disaster loss, restore ecosystems, protect biodiversity, and uphold Indigenous rights. It is an international agreement that is not legally binding but requires signatories to adhere to a set of objectives.

Promoting the importance of nature as the cornerstone of human prosperity, security, and survival, showcasing viable remedies and mitigations, and holding decision-makers responsible for their promises are all important tasks for media organizations.

In keeping with its Biodiversity Media Initiative, EJN is happy to announce a new round of organizational grants for media outlets, journalist networks, civil society organizations, or educational institutions that are attempting to enhance media coverage of conservation and biodiversity in various parts of the world.

The Biodiversity Media Grants will support projects that:  

Produce in-depth stories to expand the breadth and depth of coverage of biodiversity and conservation issues; 
Carry out biodiversity and/or conservation training activities for journalists and/or media organizations to build their capacity to report on biodiversity and conservation issues more effectively.

Create or strengthen journalist networks focused on these issues, enabling them to invest in strategic opportunities, build the capacities of their members and respond to communities’ needs.

These grants prioritize projects that align with the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, especially in preparation for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP16 in Colombia. Projects should focus on raising public awareness of biodiversity threats and conservation solutions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Additionally, they should aim to enhance the capacity of journalists and communicators to cover these topics effectively.

While content creation is important, proposals must include elements related to awareness-building, networking, or capacity-building to be considered. Note that there will be a separate grant opportunity later for individual journalists seeking support for biodiversity or conservation stories; applications from individual journalists will not be accepted for this grant.

Benefits of the Earth Journalism Network Biodiversity Media Grants

Three to four organizations will each receive grants from ENJ worth 10,000–12,000 EUR.
Budget-conscious proposals will typically have an advantage in the competition.
Projects with novel ideas and potential for greater resource and time commitments will be given larger grant amounts.

The successful applicants will be notified in April 2024, and work will begin in May 2024.
The projects must be finished by the end of April 2025, or within a year.
When creating their work plan, applicants should take this timeline into account.

Using this template, all applicants must include a comprehensive budget that justifies the requested amount with their application. They ask that the budgets be reasonable and account for the costs necessary for project implementation.
Grant recipients may utilize a portion of the funds for equipment purchases, but they must explicitly indicate how the equipment will support the desired results and outputs. Equipment expenses ought to account for a negligible fraction of the total budget.
While it is not necessary, applicants are welcome and encouraged to secure co-financing for the suggested activities. In their application, please specify the amount and source of any co-financing they may have received.

Regarding projects that entail publishing articles or other content, please be aware that the rights to edit, publish, broadcast, and distribute those materials freely will be granted to Internews, EJN, its partners, and the grant funder.

Eligibility Criteria for the Earth Journalism Network Biodiversity Media Grants

This opportunity focuses on building capacity for reporting in countries where the need is often the greatest and the pool of available resources is limited. 
All activities must take place in countries classified as either low- or middle-income by the World Bank.

ENJ is especially interested in projects in biodiversity-rich regions of the world, such as the Amazon, Central Africa and Southeast Asia, or other biodiversity hotspots.  
They would also like to hear from applicants based in countries in which they have not offered grants to previously.
They encourage applications in particular from West Africa, Central America and Eastern Europe, and specifically from the following countries: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This opportunity is open to journalist networks, media organizations, civil society organizations or academic institutions. Although they will consider applications by NGOs or environmental groups looking to build the capacity of journalists to cover conservation issues, preference will be given to applications from or affiliated with professional journalists, media organizations, journalism schools, and the like.  
Applicants must either note their affiliations with existing media organizations or provide detailed plans about how this project would facilitate the creation of a new network or organization.   
They will not consider applications rooted in advocacy or political campaigning.

Existing or former EJN grantees are eligible to apply, although preference will be given to grantees they have not supported previously.
They will take the performance of existing or previous grantees into consideration during the selection.   
For the purposes of this funding opportunity, they will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, they cannot consider applications in other languages at this time.

Applicants must either have a working understanding of English or have a translator available to assist with communication with Internews staff. However, applicants may produce stories and training materials in any language.
Applicants are required to be transparent about the use of generative AI tools, if any, in the development of their proposals.

NOTE: If applicants are found to have participated in unethical or improper professional conduct, such as plagiarism or submitting content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) as their own, EJN retains the right to disqualify them from consideration.

Eligible Regions: West Africa, Central America and Eastern Europe, and specifically from the following countries: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

How to Apply for the Grants

Fill in the online application form by clicking the “Apply Now” button located on the top right of the page.  
If the applicant has an existing account, they’ll need to log in. If not, they will need to create an account by clicking “Log in” on the top right of the page and clicking the “Sign up” link at the bottom of the page that opens.

If the applicant starts the application and wants to come back and complete it later, they can click “Save Draft.” To return to the draft, they’ll need to go back to the opportunity, ensure that they are logged in, and click “Apply Now” again to finalize the application.  
Applications should provide a detailed budget with justification for the amount requested. Download the budget template now by clicking on this link.
The applicant will be asked to upload these supporting documents once they start the application process, so please have them handy.

If they encounter difficulties with applying or have questions about the fellowships, please email info.ejn@internews.org. Do not contact any other Internews email regarding this opportunity, as they will not receive it.
Applications received beyond the deadline will not be taken into consideration. April 10, 2024, is the deadline for applications.

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