Is your organization working to improve environmental reporting?

Do you have a unique or creative idea to help people understand climate change and other environmental issues?

This is your chance to win a grant and be part of the solution to the environmental crisis.

 

**If you are not yet an EJN member, please make sure to register as a member via the Join the Network button above. Upon the completion, please come back to this page and click on Apply Now to apply for this opportunity**

Overview

In the ever-intensifying climate and environmental crisis, factual and science-based information on the causes, effects and solutions to environmental degradation and climate change is more important than ever.

People need information, in order to understand how they and other communities will be impacted, what life decisions they have to make, what solutions are out there, what their governments and big businesses are (or are not) doing, what actions are required, and how affected communities are adapting. People are also in search of hope and ideas for what each and every one of us can do about this defining issue of our times.

Although public awareness of environmental issues is growing fast, there is still a massive disconnect between the scale of the problems and the actions that are being taken to address them.

In Asia and the Pacific region, home to both some of the world’s most and least populous countries as well as richest pockets of biodiversity, Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is working closely with local journalists and partners to find ways to better report on environmental challenges from the local perspectives and to provide information to those most lacking the information or tools needed to adapt, take actions and hold governments to account.

In this round of media grants, we are seeking innovative ideas from journalist networks, media organizations, civil society organizations or academic institutions throughout Asia and the Pacific that can:

• Strengthen local or regional skills, knowledge and network for environmental reporting; and
• Enhance media coverage and public awareness of environmental issues, such as climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, wildlife trafficking, use and management of natural resources.

This round of grants is awarded as part of the Earth Journalism Network’s Asia-Pacific project, which aims to boost the quantity and quality of environmental and climate coverage in the region and empower at-risk communities by informing them about environmental issues and amplifying their voices in the media. This project has received generous financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

Objectives and Scope

Proposed activities should contribute to one or more of the following objectives:

• Provide quality environment and climate news and information to policymakers, at-risk communities, business communities or the general public;
• Improve the capacity of local or regional journalists and other content producers to report on environmental and climate issues in an accurate and compelling way;
• Strengthen organizational and/or journalistic capacity to produce good quality environmental and climate news and information;
• Address barriers of women and/or other marginalized groups (youth, ethnic minorities, indigenous people and people with disabilities) to access environmental news and information, and ensure their voices are included in environmental media reports;
• Generate positive changes in governmental and business environmental policies or consumer habits and behaviors for a more sustainable way of life.

 

We are specifically seeking:

• Innovative ideas for training and networking of local journalists, bloggers and other content providers; online tools and platforms that would allow citizens to report on environmental impacts and monitor implementation of environment-related policies; media environmental reporting projects that bring new perspectives or target strategic audiences. The grant can also be used as a seed grant to build a new environmental media start-up or journalist network. 
• Capacity-building elements that strengthen skills and knowledge of local journalists and content providers, for instance, to improve data journalism, investigative reporting, safety awareness, gender-inclusive reporting and/or coverage of specific environmental topics. We are also keen to strengthen the organizational capacity of the applicants, for instance, with financial reporting, digital security or project management.   
• Partnership building and networking among journalists or between journalists and other stakeholders, such as scientists and researchers, policy-makers, or the business sector. This could be within a country or trans-nationally. The media grants can also be used to support the establishment of environmental journalism networks in places where they don't exist.

The proposed activity should have at least one of these elements in the design.

 

Grant Amount

Grants will be given out in two ‘Lots,’ which you will be able to select in the application form.

| Lot 1 |

For smaller-scale local organizations looking to implement an activity with a maximum duration of one year. Maximum amount of each grant is US$20,000.

| Lot 2 |

For mid-sized and more established local or regional organizations looking to implement a larger-scale project, for a duration of up to two years. The grant amounts can range from US$20,000-$50,000 depending on the scope of activities.

As part of EJN’s support to the grantees, selected grantees in both Lots will undertake a participatory Organizational Capacity Assessment. Based on the finding of the assessment, they may receive additional financial and technical assistance to strengthen specific organizational capacity, such as on financial reporting, digital security and fundraising.

 

Eligibility

Media organizations, journalist networks, universities, journalism schools and civil society organizations focusing on environmental reporting in the region are welcome to apply. Non-governmental organizations, community-based groups and research institutes will also be considered – but only those with strong media and communication components that are dedicated to supporting fair and accurate reporting. Please note that we will not consider applications rooted in advocacy or political campaigning.

Priority will be given to groups that are based in and implementing activities in one or more developing countries in Asia-Pacific. For the purpose of this call, we will accept applications from South Asia, Southeast Asia, China and the Pacific - but not Australia, New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands.

 

Selection Process

Grants will be awarded competitively by a panel of judges, consisting of Internews staff and experts in media and environment. Following a first round of review, potential grantees will be shortlisted. The jury may interview shortlisted applicants to seek further information on the proposed activity. The jury will then reconvene again after the interviews to make a final selection of the grantees.

The jury evaluates all eligible applications in a comparative context and makes funding decisions based on the availability of funds, the program objectives, and the following assessment criteria:

• the overall quality of the proposal;
• the relevance of the proposed project in contributing to the objectives and priorities of this grant program;
• the potential impact of the proposed project, including the quality and effectiveness of the project design;
• the financial viability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed activity;
• the ability of the applicant to carry it out.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can the grant be used to purchase equipment?

A: Applicants can use a portion of the grants to purchase equipment but should clearly state how the equipment will contribute to the expected outcomes and outputs. The cost of equipment should also make up a relatively small proportion of the overall budget

Q: Will geographical representation will be considered during the selection of grantees?

A: Yes. We hope to award grants to applicants from a range of countries across the region.

Q: Are grantees expected to include monitoring and evaluation in their proposed activity?

A: Grantees are encouraged to submit their own monitoring and evaluation plan along with their application. The final monitoring and evaluation plan will be agreed upon by EJN and each grantee. They are also expected to give their full cooperation to EJN for the monitoring and evaluation of the results of the project.

Q: Can applicants offer or raise co-financing for the proposed activity?

A: Yes, please indicate the amount and source of co-financing, if any, in the budget.

Q: Can existing or former EJN grantees apply?

A: Existing or former grantees are eligible to apply. We will take the performance of existing or previous grantees into consideration during the selection. 

Q: When will applicants know whether they’ve been selected?

A: We expect to update applicants on the status of their proposals within a month after the closing of the call.

 

How to Apply

• Fill in the online application form by clicking the “Apply Now” button located on the top right of the page.
• If you have an existing account, you’ll need to log in. If not, you will need to create an account by clicking “Join the Network” on the top right of the page.
• If you start the application and want to come back and complete it later you can click “Save Draft.” To return to your draft, you’ll need to go back to the opportunity and click “Apply Now” again to finalize the application.
• All applicants are required to submit a budget with the application form. Please download this template now and use it to build your project budget.
• If you encounter difficulties with submitting your application or have questions about the grants, please email [email protected].