Department of Interior Great Apes Conservation Grant Program

The Great Ape Conservation Fund supports projects that promote conservation through:

Applied research on ape populations and their habitats, including surveys and monitoring;

Development and execution of ape conservation management plans;

Compliance with applicable treaties and laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of ape or regulate the use and management of ape habitat;

Conservation education and community outreach;

Enhanced protection of at-risk ape populations;

Efforts to decrease human-ape conflicts;

Habitat conservation and management;

Protected area/reserve management in important ape range;

Strengthening local capacity to implement conservation programs;

Transfrontier ape conservation; and

Wildlife inspection, law enforcement, and forensics skills.
Proposed project work should occur within the ape range, or, if work is to be conducted outside of the range, the proposal should show a clear relevance to ape conservation. Applied research projects should address specific management needs and actions, and threats from emerging issues such as disease and climate change that affect the species and their habitats.