IFS Programme
The most recent call for applications by IFS closed on 29th January, 2012. Applications received during that session will now be evaluated and grants will be awarded to successful applicants. Those who applied will be informed of the progress of their applications in due course (please do not send inquiries in the meantime). This represents the conclusion of the foregoing programme. The Secretariat are now busy administering the evaluation process and also finalizing the procedures for implementing its programme within the new strategy.
The established core component of the IFS Programme remains the competitive grant scheme that focuses on individuals - promising young developing-country scientists – who conduct research into the sustainable utilisation, management and/or conservation of biological and water resources in developing countries. The grant enables the grantees to conduct their research projects in their home institutions – university departments, national research institutes and research oriented NGOs. Research topics are demand led and IFS interprets the area of biological and water resources quite widely, to include technical as well as socio-economic and other issues that impact on these topics.
Following the participatory envisioning process that concluded last year, the IFS Programme is now undergoing a radical change and the new programme will be introduced gradually during 2012.
There is currently no open call for research applications. When a further research call is opened it will be announced on the 1st page of this website under the section ‘Call for Applications’. Speculative applications are not accepted by IFS. Applications received outside of calls for applications cannot be processed.
There are therefore no Application Forms available at this time; these will be next available when the new programme launches.
We recommend that you subscribe to the RSS feed (what is RSS?) on the first page of this website to receive notification of new calls for research applications as they are published. You can subscribe by clicking on the symbol 
on the first page. (More detailed instructions here.)
New Programme 2012
The key objectives of the new programme are to support excellent science and equitable and sustainable development towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, and the Individual Research Grant remains the cornerstone of IFS support to developing country scientists. Over the next decade, the new programme aims to support excellent individual and collaborative research, to build capability of early career scientists in the developing world, and to contribute innovation to the sustainable management of biological and water resources. In particular, to enable young scientists to contribute to a global research community that is reducing poverty and supporting sustainable development.
More detail on the new IFS Programme can be found here:
(please note that the pages describing the new Programme will develop and change during 2012, as the details become known).
» New Programme 2012
» IFS Strategy 2011-2010
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria (both individual eligibility and country eligibility) for the new programme will be somewhat different from the previous criteria. The new criteria will be described in the side boxes on the pages describing the new programme.
Capability Enhancing Support
From time-to-time IFS offers workshops and other supporting services to applicants and to grantees, which are collectively referred to as Capability Enhancing Support or CES. This support can include travel and publication grants, a purchasing service and a range of different types of CES workshops. Some of the workshops are relevant to individual or collaborative research approaches or to both. For more information see the link below.
» Capability Enhancing Support
Financing the Grants
The IFS Programme is financed by our donors and some grants are co-funded by collaborating organisations.
» Donors
» Collaborating organisations
