The Native Participant Travel Grant Program
Encouraging Native involvement in the GWS biennial conferences
In partnership with several funders, the George Wright Society offers travel grants to support the participation of Native people at the Society's biennial conferences — the leading professional meeting on parks, protected areas, and cultural sites.
The interface between Native interests and parks, protected areas, and cultural sites is a realm of great ferment, both in terms of policy and philosophy. To have genuine and critically enriching dialogue, there must be face-to-face engagement between Native and non-Native people. This dialogue can lead to multi-directional learning, improved relationships, new conservation strategies, and expanded vision and planning. The GWS hopes to facilitate this dialogue by offering these travel grants.
The Native Participant Travel Grant program was created for the GWS2007 conference and continued at the GWS2009 conference. To date, the NPTG program has enabled nearly 50 Native people to attend the conferences. We are hoping to expand the scope of the program for the GWS2011 conference.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Non-student indigenous people from Canada, Mexico, or the USA (including US Territories) who are involved in the protection, management, or study of land, its biological/cultural systems and features, or Native land rights. “Indigenous people” in this context includes people identifying as American Indians, Alaska Natives, indigenous Mexicans, First Nations, Métis, Native Hawaiians, Inuit, and Aboriginals. We regret that we do not have funds to support attendance from indigenous people outside of Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
These travel grants are for non-students only. If you are an indigenous person and a full-time student, you can apply for a George Melendez Wright Student Travel Scholarship.
HOW ARE GRANT WINNERS SELECTED? An evaluation committee (the majority of whom are Native people) will award the grants based on a review of applications. Preference may be given to individuals who have submitted abstracts to give presentations at the conference. Financial need and geographical/cultural representation will also be considered.
WHAT DO THE GRANTS COVER, AND HOW MUCH ARE THEY? Grants will consist of a registration fee waiver, a stipend that will be applied toward the cost of the recipient’s registration fee and travel to the conference, and a year's complimentary membership in the GWS. The amount of the grants will vary. In order to assist a larger number of applicants, it is unlikely that individuals will receive full travel support.
WHEN ARE GRANTS ISSUED? Grants will be disbursed by check (in US dollars) at the conference. No advance payments can be made, and any currency exchange fees applied to the check by the recipient’s home bank will be the responsibility of the recipient. Grant recipients may be required to submit copies of their travel itinerary and receipts prior to the time of disbursement.
WHEN IS THE NEXT ROUND OF GRANTS? The next GWS conference will be in March 2011. Applications for the 2011 round of the NPTG will be accepted starting in June 2010.
HOW DO I APPLY? When the next grant round opens, a link to an on-line application and more detailed information will be available on this page.