man hand holding Brazil nuts, castanha do para, in the amazon rainforest

Community Projects in Sustainability and Climate Change 

The Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies welcomes submissions for projects that promote environmental sustainability and address climate justice issues in Brazilian communities. The goal is to support Brazilian grassroots NGOs, social movements, and community associations working on sustainability and climate justice, broadly conceived. We understand that the challenges of our changing planet cannot be solved by any single academic discipline or scientific approach, as viable solutions necessarily include local partners at all stages of design, execution, and dissemination. We seek applications for projects that advance impactful work on sustainability and climate justice. Projects should also entail a communication component that allows for the dissemination of outcomes to the broader national and international community. The Center for Brazilian Studies will support up to 5 (five) projects during the period of March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025.  Total budget requests may not exceed $ 7500 USD for projects of up to one year in duration. Applications can be submitted in English or Portuguese.

To apply, please submit an application via https://forms.gle/XigeSyeY2rugP8CC6 by January 10, 2024.

Letters of application should include the following elements: 

  • Project description: Please provide a detailed overview of the work to be undertaken with the funds. Outline specific activities and a timeline for their execution.
  • Project impact: Describe the significance of the project and how it will contribute to advancing knowledge on climate change, promoting climate justice, strengthening communities involved in addressing environmental issues, etc.
  • Qualifications of organization: Provide background on the qualifications of the organization to carry out the project. Indicate who will conduct the work and discuss any past experience carrying out related projects. 
  • Budget: Include a proposed budget for the activities and a narrative that justifies the expenses outlined as reasonable and necessary to project completion. The budget can be submitted in reais. 
  • Registration and dissemination plan: Describe your plan for disseminating the progress and results of the project to the national and international community. We are particularly interested in projects with dissemination components that will produce content for digital sharing that can be done in partnership with our Digital Brazil Project or the Center for Brazilian Studies social media

Applications will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary committee composed of faculty affiliated with the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies. Evaluation criteria include:

  • Relevance of the proposed project to issues related to sustainability and climate change
  • Feasibility of activities proposed during the granting period
  • Experience and capacity of the proposing entity to complete the project
  • Quality of dissemination plan, including how results can be shared with the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies.

Please contact [email protected] with additional questions.