Rainforest Alliance Kleinhans Fellowship for Community Forestry Research

The fellowship provides funds for research that is oriented toward solving real-world problems as defined by community forest enterprises (CFEs).

CFEs face a host of challenges including weak organizational capacity, lack of access to finance, limited business-administration skills, difficulty competing with illegal forest products and the absence of markets for certain lesser-known species. Recognizing that sound scientific inquiry can help to guide technical assistance for local development, Rainforest Alliance’s Kleinhans Fellowship supports research that seeks solutions to the challenges faced by the community forestry model.

The Kleinhans Fellowship provides a two-year stipend of US$20,000 per year to support research that addresses one of the following topics:

1. Markets for lesser-known species and non-timber forest products (NTFPs).
2. Biodiversity management practices.
3. Social organization and governance.
4. Multi-community enterprises.

Eligibility

Applicants must be working toward a graduate degree in forestry, ecology, botany, environmental science or an appropriate related field. Doctoral candidates or post-doctoral researchers are preferred, although applicants may substitute relevant experience for higher-level degrees. Researchers of any nationality or residence are eligible for the Kleinhans Fellowship; however, the research itself must be conducted in Latin America.