Earthwatch Research Funding

We support research projects that produce rigorous, relevant, and impactful science, address global change, and actively involve citizen-scientist participants. We are shifting to a rolling request for proposals (RFPs) process, effective April 2026, and for projects to begin in 2028. We evaluate proposals based on scientific merit, appropriateness of citizen-scientist activities, expected project outcomes and impacts, safety, and logistics.

Earthwatch funding is intended to be supplemental to other sources of funding. Annual budgets for projects with long-duration teams range between US $20,000–$80,000, with most of that covering volunteer and staff expenses while in the field. Final grants are provided on a per-capita basis based on the number of participants. Research projects are tenable for three years, subject to annual performance review, and may be eligible for renewal beyond that period. We pride ourselves on our capacity for long-term support of research projects, averaging between 10–11 years of support across the projects available for public recruitment.

Earthwatch takes the safety of all people involved in projects we support very seriously. Therefore, we are unable to support research projects in certain regions of the world due to safety concerns, with no exceptions. Please review our current Earthwatch “No Go” List prior to applying for funding.

Submit a Pre-Proposal

To submit a pre-proposal for review, please visit our Submission Portal.