The Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, in partnership with the Ashraya Hastha Trust, a philanthropic organization based in Bangalore, has announced the second round of their Wild Incubator Tech Program.
India’s unique biodiversity faces specific conservation challenges, necessitating the development of innovative, technology-driven solutions tailored to its distinct environmental and socio-economic contexts, the Centre for Wildlife Studies said. While leading scientists have historically used technology for biodiversity conservation in India, there remains a notable gap in the scalability of these pilot projects.
The Wild Incubator Tech Program is designed to bridge this gap as it aims to foster India-centric innovations in wildlife conservation. The initiative focuses on three key areas:
- Encouraging technological innovation for research and conservation tailored to the needs of the Indian ecosystem.
- Aiming to be a platform for the creation, testing, and scaling of such effective wildlife conservation technologies.
- Offering the necessary support, including guidance, mentorship and system creation, to support homegrown pilot projects to sustain and amplify their efforts.
Any conservation group working on a project using innovative technologies can apply for this grant. The technologies may include internet of things, artificial intelligence and machine learning, open data, satellite imaging, geographic information system, remote sensing, etc, in any of the following areas:
- Human-wildlife interactions
- Combating illegal hunting and wildlife trade
- Mapping and monitoring deforestation, forest fires, or land use change
- Conservation of species (with endangered species in focus)
- Understanding ecological patterns and processes for conservation
- Any other related field.
The Centre for Wildlife Studies, founded by renowned tiger conservationist Dr K. Ullas Karanth, is an internationally recognized centre of excellence in the areas of wildlife research, conservation, policy, and education. Its mission is to safeguard and conserve India’s rich and diverse wildlife heritage through cutting-edge research, effective conservation strategies, and community engagement. For 40 years, it has been committed to advancing scientific knowledge, promoting sustainable practices, and inspiring a collective sense of stewardship to ensure the survival of India’s wildlife and their habitats for future generations.
To understand the types of projects the centre has previously supported, please visit cwsindia.org and review the grantees of the first round and their projects.
The top two submissions in the current round will receive grant awards of ₹20,00,000 (about $24,000) each, for a period of one year. Each project will receive an additional ₹4,00,000 (about $4,800) for equipment purchase.
The application deadline for the second round of Wild Incubator Tech is Sep 30. There will be no extension. To apply, click here. For more details and answers to your questions, write to wildincubator@cwsindia.org.
