Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund-Asia | Apply Online

Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund-Asia (F16AS00474) FAQs

1) What is the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund-Asia?

The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund-Asia is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service funding opportunity created under the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994. It is designed to provide dedicated financial support for conserving wild rhinoceros and tiger populations.

2) What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity solicits proposals focused on on-the-ground conservation across rhino and tiger ranges, with an emphasis on practical actions that directly reduce threats and improve long-term survival prospects for wild populations.

3) What types of projects are supported?

Supported projects can address a wide range of conservation needs, including:

• Stronger protection for at-risk rhino and tiger populations
• Improved management of protected areas and reserves in key range landscapes
• Veterinary care for wild animals
• Habitat conservation and restoration
• Reintroduction into former range where appropriate
• Wildlife inspection capacity building
• Law enforcement training and deterrence
• Development of forensics skills to investigate poaching and illegal trade
• Conservation education and community outreach
• Conflict mitigation to reduce human-rhino and human-tiger clashes
• Local capacity building for governments, local organizations, and communities
• Transfrontier conservation efforts (cross-border work)

4) Are law enforcement and anti-poaching activities eligible?

Yes. The program supports activities that strengthen enforcement and deterrence, including wildlife inspection capacity, law enforcement training, and development of forensics skills that help investigate poaching and illegal trade.

5) Does the fund support work related to wildlife trafficking and consumer demand?

Yes. A notable feature of the opportunity is explicit support for strategies that address wildlife trafficking and demand. Projects may focus on reducing consumer demand for illegal rhino and tiger parts, products, and live animals, and on combating trafficking networks that move these items through illegal markets.

6) Can proposals include conservation education and community outreach?

Yes. Proposals may focus on conservation education and community outreach, as well as other community-centered approaches like conflict mitigation and capacity building.

7) Is human-wildlife conflict mitigation within scope?

Yes. The opportunity specifically mentions conflict mitigation to reduce human-rhino and human-tiger clashes as an eligible focus area.

8) Are habitat conservation, restoration, and protected area management eligible activities?

Yes. The fund supports habitat conservation and restoration and improved management of protected areas and reserves in key range landscapes.

9) Are veterinary care and animal health activities eligible?

Yes. Veterinary care for wild animals is listed as an eligible type of project support.

10) Are reintroduction projects allowed?

Yes. Reintroduction efforts into former range are within scope where appropriate.

11) Are transfrontier or cross-border conservation projects eligible?

Yes. Transfrontier conservation efforts are explicitly within scope, reflecting that rhinos and tigers and the threats they face often cross national boundaries.

12) Is applied research eligible under this opportunity?

Yes, as long as it is clearly tied to priority threats and is likely to lead to concrete management actions. Examples mentioned include surveys and monitoring of populations and habitats, and development and execution of conservation management plans.

13) Does the program support surveys and monitoring?

Yes. Surveys and monitoring of populations and habitats are included as eligible applied research activities when connected to priority threats and likely to inform practical management actions.

14) Are conservation management plans eligible?

Yes. The development and execution of conservation management plans is specifically identified as an eligible activity (as part of applied research tied to management action).

15) Does the fund support treaty and legal compliance efforts?

Yes. The fund encourages proposals that improve compliance with relevant treaties and laws governing the taking, trade, and habitat management of rhinos and tigers.

16) Where must the work take place geographically?

The work is expected to occur within rhinoceros or tiger range.

17) Can projects take place outside rhino or tiger range?

Yes, but only if the proposal makes a clear, credible case that the activities directly advance rhino or tiger conservation outcomes. Examples of outside-range work noted include demand-reduction campaigns in consumer countries or specialized enforcement support.

18) Does the program prioritize certain taxa or subspecies?

Yes. The program prioritizes projects involving indigenous subspecies within their natural range. Funding decisions also consider how endangered the target taxon is, with more support directed toward more imperiled subspecies.

19) Does the program fund ex situ or captive populations?

No. The opportunity states it does not fund ex situ populations, such as captive populations outside natural settings.

20) What kind of award instrument is used?

This is a discretionary program offered through grants and cooperative agreements.

21) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number provided is 15.619.

22) What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed is F16AS00474.

23) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any entity type, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full notice.

24) What is the maximum award size?

Awards were capped at $100,000 per award for the referenced cycle.

25) How many awards were anticipated?

The announcement anticipated an expected 60 awards.

26) When was this funding opportunity posted and when did it close?

For the referenced cycle, it was posted on September 30, 2016, with an original closing date of December 2, 2016.

27) What kinds of threats is the program aiming to reduce?

Based on the stated eligible activities, the opportunity targets major threats such as poaching and illegal trade, wildlife trafficking networks, habitat loss or degradation (through habitat conservation and restoration), weak enforcement capacity (through training and inspection support), and human-wildlife conflict (through mitigation efforts).

28) What makes a proposal more aligned with program priorities?

Based on the description, stronger alignment includes: being focused on practical, on-the-ground actions; operating in rhino or tiger range (or clearly justifying outside-range work); supporting indigenous subspecies in their natural range; addressing priority threats with clear conservation outcomes; and focusing on more imperiled subspecies where possible.