Nepal hosts exceptional biodiversity. From the top of the Himalayas to its subtropical lowlands, there is a growing demand for applied conservation science researchers who are empowered to help tackle Nepal’s mounting environmental challenges. Yet, many emerging conservationists struggle to envision viable careers in this field, including because relevant support and opportunities are often limited.

The Nepal Conservation Research Fellowship was launched in 2018 by Greenhood Nepal and Lancaster University Conservation Governance Lab to provide our colleagues with the academic, professional and social support they need to build successful careers in conservation. You can read more about interests and experiences on our website. This is a two-year Fellowship for early-career, applied conservation science researchers that people undertake during their own time. Fellows tend to focus on social science methods but often engage multi-method studies, in areas such as natural resource management, environmental policy, behavioural change and environmental education. We are a supportive community that works to support one another and build life-long collaborations and friendships, in the interest of both personal and professional progression and meaningful contributions to conservation. As a Fellow, you will develop your own applied research project, conduct on your own time, in partnership with an international mentor and through peer-to-peer support with the other Fellows. You will identify ways to use your research to help inform conservation practices, such as through policy events, advocacy, public engagement and court action. You will have the chance to participate in our monthly lab meetings and paper discussions, occasional training, and help support one another with developing grants, preparing interviews and accessing international travel and educational opportunities. Thanks to the generosity of Sean Dennis, Fellows can apply internally for limited funds to help cover the costs of conducting fieldwork and stakeholder engagement.

Principles of Candidate Selection Fellows must

• Be a citizen or resident of Nepal.
• Generally have completed a Master’s degree in a related topic, and many will already have internship and/or work experience.
• Have an idea about the type of applied conservation social science research that they would like to undertake. These are not ecology projects, but rather applied questions related to human dimensions of conservation. For examples, please look at our existing Fellows’ research.
• Be able to commit time to monthly lab meetings (usually Saturdays), occasional training, and time to developing and implementing their own projects.
• Have demonstrated interest and experience in conservation in Nepal, and be committed to a career in the fields of conservation and sustainability.
• Be an early-career conservation professional (i.e. generally not in full-time employment for longer than 5 years). However, there is no age restriction.
• Represent a diverse community, actively considering gender, economic background, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, and university of education. NCRF is actively recruiting from communities who are traditionally under-represented in the conservation field.
• Be based anywhere in Nepal with a stable internet connection, with willingness and ability to join face-to-face meetings in Kathmandu at least one time per year.

To apply, please email the following in a single .pdf document named as “last name first name” to ncrf@greenhood.org by 26 February 2021 (Extended till 12 March 2021).

• Cover letter explaining your motivation for applying for the Fellowship
• Description of a potential applied research project, including a 300-word description of the conservation topic/challenge you would like to explore, and a 200-word description of the types of methods that you might use to understand this topic. We do not expect you to have a fully-developed proposal or methods, but we are interested in your initial ideas.
• Full CV

Please direct any question to ncrf@greenhood.org