Some interesting news from the Cambridge Conservation Forum February Newsletter

University of Cambridge Support for Joint Conservation Research Projects

Following an approach from the Department of Zoology, the Isaac Newton Trust has expressed a willingness to consider co-financing collaborative conservation science projects involving Cambridge University researchers and locally-based practitioner organizations. The Newton Trust will entertain applications to support small- to medium-sized grants, up to a total of ~£250K over the next five years, to facilitate outstanding research by University staff (UTOs) working with locally-based conservation organisations.

To be eligible, projects must:

· be submitted by a UTO who will be a principal investigator on the project

· be of the highest academic standards (to meet the selection criteria of the Trust), as well as high practical relevance (so there is full NGO/agency commitment)

· have at least 50% of their costs covered by non-University sources

Eligible costs include the costs of hiring new staff (who would be employed by the University), as well as limited equipment costs. The Trust does not cover overhead costs, studentships, fieldwork costs, replacement equipment, or building work. All proposals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, by the Newton Trust.

Applications are welcome from any Department in the University of Cambridge, and must be submitted by a UTO, through his/her Head of Department or Faculty. Draft applications (to check on eligibility) are followed by completed applications which are ~3 pages long. Deadlines for the rest of 2005/06 are 27 January (draft) followed by 10 February (final); and provisionally 19 May

(draft) and 2 June (final), and there will be further deadlines during the academic year 2006/07. Please mark applications as falling within the conservation science initiative.

For further details on making applications to the Isaac Newton Trust and confirmation of dates see:

http://www.newtontrust.cam.ac.uk/cam/research/index.html (accessible by University of Cambridge members only).

Internships for Young Conservation Scientists from Developing Countries and Eastern Europe

The University of Cambridge has obtained support from the Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund to allow selected overseas delegates to the annual Student Conference on Conservation Science (SCCS) to extend their visits by taking up internships with interested conservation organisations or university departments.

The internships will last ~1 month, and are to enable promising young conservation scientists and practitioners to develop their careers by working with their host on a focused and mutually useful piece of work (such as preparing a report, developing a project plan, or transferring expertise). Host organisations can in turn benefit through exchanging ideas, bringing field staff to head office, or simply extending their networks.

SCCS will cover all international and local travel costs, pay a stipend, and organise logistics. Overhead costs and supervision will be the responsibility of the host organisation.

The scheme will be open to graduate-level conservation scientists and practitioners from developing countries and eastern Europe, currently working in relevant university departments or in conservation or resource management agencies. Host organisations can be conservation agencies, NGOs, or university departments, in the Cambridge area or beyond. Key selection criteria will be the quality of the work the candidate and their ability to benefit from the proposed internship.

The scheme will run for 5 years, from the March 2007 conference. Organisations potentially interested in hosting interns are invited to discuss their ideas as early as possible (and no later than the preceding summer) with the conference organisers.

Applications should then be made, by the internship candidates themselves, by November each year, via the SCCS website (http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/sccs/index.html). Selections will be made in December, by the SCCS committee.

Amphibian Biodiversity Conservation Course

The International Training Centre of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, British Channel Islands, will hold a training course on Amphibian Biodiversity Conservation in June this year. It is primarily designed for mid-management conservation professionals working both in the field and in captivity to manage threatened amphibian populations. Topics covered in the course include population monitoring techniques, patterns of disease transmission and controlling risk, establishing captive breeding populations and managing meta-populations. The course is being advertised internationally and so should be an opportunity for conservationists working in different countries to network on a global scale.

Further information is available in the attached flier (ABC_Advert06.pdf).

Nominations Invited for UNEP Sasakawa Prize

Nominations are invited for the 2006 UNEP Sasakawa Prize. The new prize aims to encourage environmental innovation, research, iniatives and ideas on an annually changing theme. In 2006, the theme for which candidates will be eligible is Deserts and Desertification. Please note that the deadline for nominations is 15 March 2006.

The Prize acts as an incentive for environmental efforts that are sustainable and replicable in the long-term. It recognises

innovation, groundbreaking research and ideas, and extraordinary grassroots initiatives from around the world.

The $200,000 UNEP Sasakawa Prize offers the financial support Laureates need to build on their achievements. Background information on the prize and the nomination form are available at www.unep.org/sasakawa and need to include:

Alcan Prize for Sustainability 2006

Do you know of, or work for, a not-for-profit organization, based anywhere in the world, that has made a major contribution to economic, environmental and/or social sustainability in the field in which it operates?

The $1million Alcan Prize for Sustainability, in association with the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), is now in its third year, and both organizations are scouring the globe for projects that are helping to make the world a more sustainable place. All entries must be in by 31 March 2006 (midnight GMT).

To make a nomination, go to

http://www.alcanprizeforsustainability.com/2006/en/apply2006/form.asp and complete details online. You can nominate as many organizations as you wish.

Field Courses in Mongolia

Each year since 2003 the Steppe Forward Programme has run ecological field courses for Mongolian undergraduates, taught by foreign (British and American) academics. The Steppe Forward Programme is a Darwin Initiative funded project administered by the Zoological Society of London and run in cooperation with the National University of Mongolia. The field courses are designed to teach Mongolians ecological skills that they are not otherwise taught, so that they can implement them in their own research projects and which will make them more employable in the conservation field. They are also an important way of disseminating modern techniques.

We are currently seeking lecturers to teach on the field courses. The field courses in 2006 will cover behavioural ecology, data analysis and research design and desert ecology and census techniques topics. The courses are

residential for 3 weeks in steppe, taiga and desert habitats (in June, July and August respectively). The structure of the course is

normally two weeks of lectures and practicals, followed by a one week research project conducted by the students. Conditions are basic, as camping, but the reward from the surrounding landscape makes it worth it. Flights, visas and accomodation in Ulaanbaatar, as well as food, accomodation (in a ger - traditional felt tent) and transport are provided. $100 for in-country expenses is also provided.

This year we wish to include foreign students on the field courses, so I would appreciate it if you could encourage students to apply. Students will benefit by learning a variety of ecological research methods and theory alongside Mongolian students in stunning locations. The cost is US$990. This includes accommodation on arrival, transport, food and accommodation during field courses. Flights, visas and insurance are not included.

If you are interested in applying as a lecturer or student please reply before March 10th to Sarah King at king_srb@yahoo.com. Posters are available to advertise the courses on request. More information on the Steppe Forward Programme and past field courses can be found at www.steppeforward.com .

The Convention On Biological Diversity: 2010 Biodiversity Target

The Virtual Curitiba Biodiversity Conference

The Conference aims to gather opinion from the all stakeholders and interested parties regarding how and what actions should be taken to achieving the Biodiversity 2010 target.

http://2010.biodiv.org/about.shtml

The Eighth meeting of the CBD Conference of the Parties to be held in Curitiba, Brazil on 21-31 March 2006 takes place at an important juncture in the life of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It takes place against the backdrop of the findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and is reinforced by the Second Global Biodiversity Outlook. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is the first attempt by the scientific community to describe and evaluate, on a global scale, the full range of services people derive from nature. It was

carried out by 1360 experts from 95 countries during the last four years and supported by UNEP and the GEF. Its messages are loud and clear: two thirds of the services provided by nature to humankind are in decline, worldwide. Humans have made unprecedented changes to ecosystems in recent decades to meet growing demands for food and other ecosystems services. These changes have weakened nature's ability to deliver its vital services. Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of Earth that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.

The Eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties provides a unique opportunity to catalyze efforts and set the stage for achieving the 2010 target and the objectives of the Convention. To do this requires universal commitment and concerted efforts by the international community as a whole. To this end a Virtual conference is being established to seek the views of civil society at large on the ways and means to achieve the 2010 biodiversity target. It will assist the eight meeting of the Conference of the Parties and, in particular, its High-Level Ministerial Segment to be held on 27-28 March 2006 in addressing this crucial issue.

Source: Cambridge Conservation Forum Newsletter (http://www.cambridgeconservationforum.org/)

I hope this is of your interest. Regards,

Jorge Brenner