.jpg)
The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) through its EarthRanger program is excited to announce the availability of two Conservation Tech Awards (CTA) for the fourth consecutive year – each in the amount of $15,000. We seek organizations developing and deploying technology to protect our planet’s incredible creatures, their habitats, and the communities that depend on them.
Apply for the 2024 Conservation Tech Award. Deadline August 23.
With nearly $100,000 given since its inception, the CTA is one of many investments by AI2 to catalyze innovation, celebrate impact, and accelerate the adoption of technology-driven solutions for wildlife conservation. From promoting human-wildlife coexistence to discovering new insights into animal behaviors and safeguarding threatened populations, the grant has provided critical funding to organizations demonstrating the transformative power of incorporating technology into their conservation missions.
"The Conservation Tech Award celebrates the commitment, hard work, and creative vision driving meaningful outcomes in conservation," said EarthRanger Director Jes Lefcourt. "We are inspired by the innovation of past winners like the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Club Arribada, and other past grantees, and AI2 is proud to continue this tradition, empowering and recognizing organizations who harness technology to protect our planet's precious wildlife."
Technology is rapidly revolutionizing the field of conservation. Advancements, including satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and acoustic sensors, enable us to enhance our understanding, monitoring, and protection of wildlife and their habitats across the planet. Innovative and effective conservation solutions are paramount as we face an ever-growing list of environmental challenges like climate change, habitat loss, and biodiversity decline. While technology has become a powerful tool for conservationists, we urgently need to improve its application and effectiveness to tackle our immense environmental challenges.
Past CTA grantees:
-Giraffe Conservation Foundation - leveraging machine learning, rapid geospatial data management, and visualization to better understand giraffes and advocate for their protection
-Lion Guardians - combining a unique, community-centric approach with advanced technology to build risk maps and monitor individual lions to improve the ways people and lions coexist
-Club Arribada - free after-school, hands-on conservation tech program delivering STEM activities, computer literacy classes, and more to inspire the next generation of Principe’s conservationists
-MoveApps - free and open-source, no-code analysis platform that allows scientists and wildlife managers to quickly glean insights from animal movement data
-Mount Kenya Trust - safeguarding the Mount Kenya UNESCO World Heritage Site via a holistic and partner-based approach, including a highly successful Junior Ranger Program
-Conservation X Labs - a smart camera and monitoring system equipped with AI, satellite, cellular, and LoRa connectivity to provide immediate alerts for conservationists to respond to
Now accepting applications from previous applicants and past grantees. See our FAQs for conditions.
Nonprofit and for-profit organizations and protected areas are eligible to apply, provided that their activities are primarily directed to the protection and preservation of the natural environment in the public interest. We encourage both EarthRanger users and non-users to submit applications. Those who have applied in years past can apply. Previous grantees with a new project or initiative are also eligible for the 2024 Conservation Tech Award. If your organization is eligible and would like to apply, please complete the grant application by August 23, 2024. Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of some of the most well-known and prolific conservation technology organizations, including the Andes Amazon Fund, Google, ConTech Africa, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Centre for Wildlife Studies, Arribada Initiative, WildLabs, Conservation X Labs, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
For more information about the CTA grant, please refer to our FAQs.