African Bird Club

A detailed proposal is needed for each project submitted to the conservation award committee. The following headings are suggestions on how a successful application could be written. This is only a guide - please feel free to add more information. Many applications have failed in the past as insufficient information has been supplied.

Introduction and aims

This section should give:

* A brief description of the aims of the project;
* The people and organisations involved;
* The locations and country;
* A map;
* The amount requested from the fund.

Justification

This section is extremely important as the ABC cannot fund all of the applications it receives and has to target high priority projects. This should include, for example:

* For species-based projects the conservation status of the species involved;
* The current threats to the habitat;
* How the proposed project will benefit the species, or the area in which it is found;
* A description of any training or skills transfer involved in the project;
* For educational projects, what the benefits of the proposed project will be;
* What the outputs of the project will be (eg reports, seminars, educational material etc.).

Methods

The committee will look for the following points:

* A description of the methods to be used;
* Why these methods are being used;
* A timetable of the various stages of the project, including the dates the preliminary and final reports will be produced.

Budget

A complete breakdown of the costs is required including materials, transport, living allowances, report production etc. If the application is part of a larger project, the total cost of the project should be indicated.

Referee

It would help the assessment of the applications if the applicant can supply the name, address and fax or e-mail details of someone who can comment knowledgeably on the application. This could be an ABC Country Representative (addresses are published in the bulletin) or someone from an academic or conservation institution.

Details of payment

Payment will usually be made by bank transfer to a reputable third party such as the local BirdLife affiliate or Conservation Society. Please supply the account name and number, and the name and address of the bank.

ABC Expedition Award: Submission of Applications

Applicants should submit a full, detailed project proposal by the end of January.

Applications are invited from expeditions meeting the following criteria:

*	The expedition must take place within continental Africa or adjacent islands (Atlantic islands on or east of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Indian Ocean islands west of 80° E);
*	The expedition must be conservation based with a strong bird component;
*	The expedition must be associated with a bona fide academic institution, conservation NGO or recognised natural history or bird club;
*	Salaries of professional researchers or academics will not be supported;
*	Objectives should preferably be derived from any of the publications identifying international conservation priorities eg. IUCN red data books, IBA Directories, the Birds to Watch series, Endemic Bird Areas of the world etc;
*	If the expedition originates from outside Africa, it must include substantial local participation from local NGOs (eg BirdLife International partners), bird clubs, academic institutions or relevant government departments. Salaries of local counterparts can be supported;
*	The expedition must be able to demonstrate prior approval from the government of the host country;
*	The expedition must have a letter of endorsement from the associated academic institution, conservation NGO or recognised club;
*	Payment of the award is conditional upon the expedition raising sufficient money to proceed;
*	The expedition will provide the African Bird Club with an article for publication in the ABC Bulletin (editorial guidelines will be supplied) within six months of the end of the expedition and a copy of the final expedition report. Full, detailed project proposals to be considered for the ABC Expedition Award must be received by 31 January.

The project proposal should follow the format suggested below:

Front cover

Project summary

A concise summary of the project proposal, ideally no more than 250 words.

List of contents

Aims and Objectives

What is the overall aim of the expedition and what objectives will have to be met to achieve this aim? When writing this section make sure the aim is achievable in the time period allowed.

Background and Justification

Summarise current knowledge of the species / areas to be studied, include information on status of threat, cross reference to any published action plans eg reserve management plans, biodiversity action plans etc.

Public awareness

Does the project include a public awareness component? If so, how is this to be achieved?

Project outputs

What are the outputs of the project eg a report, scientific papers, management recommendations and how will these outputs be used?

Itinerary

A breakdown of the time which will be spent in the country eg. preparatory work, familiarisation period, survey work, writing preliminary report, presenting results to government departments of host country etc.

Logistics

Include details on travel plans, accommodation, health and safety etc.

Methods

What survey methods will be used and how will the results be analysed?

Personnel

Who are the participants? Include details on participants' roles, experience and qualifications.

Local Participation and Approval

Does the project have the approval of the host county's government or leading NGO?
Will local counterparts from the relevant government department / NGO work with the project team?

Budget

Include a detailed budget broken down into suitable headings eg. pre-project expenses, field expenses, post-project expenses and contingency.

References

A comprehensive list of the references used to produce the project proposal.

Letters of support

Copies of letters of support from the host country, affiliated academic institution, conservation NGO or recognised natural history or bird club.

Last page update 5th September 2008