Dr. Ravi Sankaran Fellowships Programmes 2010 Application Forms

The Ravi Sankaran Fellowship Program funds the following activities:

1. Masters Degree at an International University: The Program will fund one or two students to work towards a 1-2 yr Masters degree in a reputed academic program in ecology or conservation. The purpose of this Fellowship is to train the student recipients in the science and/or implementation of conservation; and to facilitate interaction with the larger international community of people involved in conservation science and practice.
2. Internship with a International Conservation Organisation: The Program will fund one or two recipients to carry out an internship of up to 1 yr with a university research group, NGO, government agency, or other organisation, known for its work in conservation science and practice in a country other than India. The purpose of the internship is for recipients of the fellowship to gain experience and insight in field ecology and conservation beyond what they would ordinarily gather from an academic degree program; and to facilitate interaction with the larger international community of people involved in conservation science and implementation.
3. Small Grants program for a conservation research or implementation project within India: The Program will fund up to 4 recipients to carry out an initial project of up to 1 yr that is expected to lead to a longer-term conservation science and/or implementation project. Thus, this program provides “seed money” for what may ordinarily be viewed as an unconventional or risky project. Recipients of an initial Small Grant may apply for follow-up funding; when doing so, they must demonstrate the success of the pilot project and show how subsequent funding is essential to bring out the conservation benefits of the project. Activities funded by the Small Grants program should ordinarily be carried out in India. Where appropriate, applicants for a small grant are encouraged to consider and include the potential role that local communities can play in conservation.

Recipients of all three Fellowships will receive a stipend of an amount that is in accordance with the cost of living in the country in which the Fellowship will be carried out. The cost of course fees and other fees charged by the host institution will also be covered. All Fellows may also be granted an additional amount towards research expenses, subject to a maximum of Rs. 200,000 per year. The actual amount awarded will be decided by the selection panel, and will most often not exceed Rs 100,000 per year.

Eligibility And Selection
Applicants must demonstrate a deep interest in wildlife ecology and conservation through some sort of prior involvement in this field. Applicants must also submit a statement of purpose demonstrating their commitment to conservation; a strong justification of how the fellowship will further conservation in India; and (for Small Grant applicants), a project proposal with budget. Applicants for any of the Program activities must hold a Bachelors degree in any subject, and should be under the age of 30 on 15 April 2010. For Program activities 2 and 3 (ie, internship and small grant), these requirements may be relaxed under exceptional circumstances.

The following information must accompany Fellowship applications (full details are on the application form):
1. A Statement of Purpose describing the applicant’s background, motivation and goals.
2. Masters and Intern applicants should explain how the training they receive will better enable them to carry out effective conservation activities in the future.
3. Masters and Intern applicants must provide details about the Institution and primary supervisor, and explain how they are appropriate for the proposed activity. A formal letter of acceptance from the host institution should accompany the application.
4. Small Grant applicants must submit a project proposal, which describes the background, objective, methods, and projected outcome of the proposed work. This proposal should include a budget with justification for any additional research funds asked for, which must also specify how much money is already available from other sources.
5. Names and contact information of two referees who know the applicant well in a professional capacity. We will contact them asking for a letter of reference supporting your application. Please make sure that your referees know what you are applying for.

All complete applications received will be screened by a committee, who will then shortlist candiates for interview. If you are shortlisted, we will send you details of travel, venue, etc.

Fellowship recipients must submit a detailed interim Report every year, and a final report at the end of their term. All reports must contain an accounting of funds spent. Fellows retain all rights over information generated during their tenure. Fellows must acknowledge support received from the 'Ravi Sankaran Fellowship' when and where they publish this work.

The Program funds three major activities:
1. A Master’s degree at a university abroad
2. An internship with an organisation abroad
3. A short conservation research or implementation project within India (in a Small Grants program)
What it covers: Fellowship recipients will receive a stipend, travel funds and an amount covering course fees (where relevant). Fellows may also be granted an additional amount towards project expenses, subject to a maximum of Rs 200,000 per year (most grants of this nature will be under Rs 100,000 per year).
Selection: Each activity is intended to have an explicit conservation focus, with an emphasis on clear on-ground conservation benefits. Successful applicants will ordinarily hold a Bachelor’s degree (in any discipline) and be below the age of 30 on the date of the application deadline.

To apply, you must prepare a statement of purpose, a strong justification of how your receiving this fellowship would benefit conservation in India, and (for Small Grants applicants) a project proposal with budget. Click here to apply, and for more details.

Application Forms
There is a separate application form for each activity funded by the Ravi Sankaran Fellowship Program. Please download and use the appropriate form for your application. All application forms are in Microsoft Excel format.
1. Master’s Abroad
2. Internship Abroad
3. Small Grant

Instructions on filling in and submitting the forms are contained within these files. Some fields have a word limit. Please use a word processing program to compose your entries to these sections and make sure that you do not exceed the word limit. You can then cut and paste from the word processor into the excel form.