Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund-Asia

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s mission is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The International Affairs Program delivers on this mission through its financial assistance programs by supporting strategic projects that deliver measurable conservation results for priority species and their habitats around the world. The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act was passed in 1994 to provide financial resources for conservation of rhinoceroses and tiger populations. This Funding Opportunity aligns with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) mission. The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund (RTCF) is soliciting proposals for the conservation of rhinoceros and/or tigers throughout their ranges. Proposal objectives should align with one or more of the desired results identified below under the relevant funding priority. The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund supports projects that promote conservation through: Support of protected area/reserve management and law enforcement in important rhinoceros and tiger range; Enhanced protection of the most at-risk rhinoceros and tiger populations; Habitat conservation, restoration and management; Strengthening local capacity and enhancing community engagement to implement conservation programs that enhance conservation stewardship; Efforts to decrease human-rhinoceros and human-tiger conflicts; Applied research on rhinoceros and tiger populations and their habitats, including surveys and monitoring; Compliance with applicable treaties (such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)) and laws that regulate the taking or trade of rhinoceroses and tigers or regulate the use and management of their habitat; Reducing demand for illegal rhinoceros and tiger parts, products and live animals in consumer countries; Combating trafficking of rhinoceros and tiger parts, products and live animals; Reintroduction of rhinoceros to former range; and, Trans-frontier tiger conservation; Proposed project work should occur within the rhinoceros or tiger range, or, if work is to be conducted outside of the range, the proposal should show clear relevance to rhinoceros or tiger conservation. If the project includes research, the applicant must provide a convincing argument that the research addresses priority threats and that the results are likely to inform management actions. In FY2021, the following types of proposals will be priorities for funding: - Multi-year (3-5 years) project proposals from applicants engaged in long-term projects (with stakeholder buy-in) that are working toward Recovery of species and their habitats in the wild. - Project proposals with multi-year potential (3-5 years) that are developing or have in place a strategy to provide the necessary information to guide conservation management of a species, or multiple species in a specific habitat or landscape, so that the protections are leading to effective conservation and Recovery of the species and their habitats. Implementing the strategy is/should be contributing substantially to the conservation of the species. - Multi-year (3-5 years) cooperative agreements where FWS works closely with grantee to assist and guide efforts such as Strategy and/or Policy Development, Threats Assessment, strengthening local capacity for good governance, etc. In FY2021, the following activities will be priorities for funding: Efforts to decrease human-rhinoceros and human-tiger conflicts; Applied research on rhinoceros and tiger populations and their habitats, including surveys and monitoring; Strengthening local capacity and enhancing community engagement to implement conservation programs that enhance conservation stewardship; Compliance with applicable treaties such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), laws, and strengthening of policies that regulate the taking or trade of rhinoceroses and tigers or regulate the use and management of their habitat; For multi-year projects, budgets and project activities should be clearly articulated by phase/year. Support for subsequent phases/years will be contingent upon satisfactory project performance, reporting, financial management, and availability of program funds. The anticipated start dates for awards will be after November 2021, and periods of performance may range from 2 – 5 years. Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing, ongoing projects are eligible and will compete with applications for new Federal awards. In the event of a successful project, the Service may consider the option of extending the program to future years, subject to availability of future funding. The Service may extend the award for additional years contingent on Service priorities, good performance of the recipient, FWS management approval, and funding availability. The Service reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and will determine the resulting level of funding for the award.

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