The Kathryn Fuller Science for Nature Fund

Advancing Conservation through Science

For nearly 50 years WWF has committed to delivering science-based conservation results while incorporating the latest research and innovations into our work. As part of its commitment to advancing conservation through science, WWF established the Kathryn Fuller Doctoral Fellowships to support PhD students working on issues of exceptional importance and relevance to our conservation efforts in a marine WWF-US priority place.

In 2011, the Kathryn Fuller Science for Nature Fund will support doctoral research on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that will enhance scientific understanding of their ecological and social impacts and that will strengthen science-based conservation and policy in WWF-US priority marine regions. (Click here to see more information and illustrative research questions)

Benefits

As part of their Awards, Fuller Doctoral Fellows receive:

• either $15,000 or $20,000 allocated over a period of up to 2 years to cover research expenses*
• opportunities to link doctoral research to WWF’s global conservation efforts
• networking opportunities with other Fuller Fellows, WWF scientists, and employees

* Fuller Doctoral Fellows receive either $15,000 or $20,000 depending on the location of their research and home university. Fellows with field research based in a WWF-priority place outside the country of their universities are eligible to receive $20,000. Fellows with field research based within the country of their home universities are eligible to receive $15,000. 

Eligibility

• All applicants must be currently enrolled in an academic program leading to a doctoral degree in a conservation-related field and must have completed at least one year of course work.
• Applicants must have at least two years of work experience in conservation.
• Applicants must propose research in the overall topic of evaluating the impacts of marine protected areas (MPAs) that has direct implications for conservation in one of WWF-US’s marine priority places.
• Individuals who are currently WWF Train Fellows may not receive a Fuller Fellowship. Applicants may apply to both programs simultaneously, if they are eligible for both, but cannot receive both fellowships from WWF.
• WWF staff, directors, and their immediate family members are not eligible for Fuller Fellowships.

Selection

Fuller Fellows are selected through a competitive, merit-based process. Eligible candidates must submit a completed online application form along with two letters of recommendation and other supporting documents by the application deadline. An interdisciplinary panel of experts is convened to review applications and to identify top candidates based on the following criteria:

1. Applicant’s ability, accomplishments, and potential to become a leader in their field
2. Scientific merit, feasibility, and significance of the research proposal
3. Relevance of research to conservation practice in general and WWF’s mission and programs in particular
4. Preference will be given to individuals proposing research in their country of origin

Application deadline: January 31, 2011

For questions or further information, please contact fullerfund@wwfus.org.

Fuller Fellowships: Suggested Research Topics

This year WWF will provide Fuller Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships to individuals conducting relevant Marine Protected Area research in an eligible WWF priority place.   Research addressing the issues presented below will receive preference in the selection process.

Overall topic: Evaluating the impacts of marine protected areas (MPAs)

Marine protected areas (MPAs, a broad term which encompasses marine managed areas, fish sanctuaries, marine reserves, etc.) are an integral component of local, national, and international strategies for fisheries management and biodiversity conservation.  MPAs are increasingly being seen not as stand-alone management tools, but as part of emerging initiatives for comprehensive marine spatial planning and ecosystem-based management.  Indeed, MPAs are often themselves complexes of multiple zones of different levels of use (strict reserves, tourism zones, subsistence fishing zones), so understanding their contribution to broader ocean governance and management is critical.

Despite the expectation that MPAs will naturally lead to positive socioeconomic outcomes for the regions’ fishing communities, their contribution to poverty alleviation and sustainable development remains the focus of a highly contentious policy debate. Advocates tout MPAs as a win-win strategy for conservation and poverty alleviation, while opponents argue that MPAs place the welfare of fish above the well-being of impoverished fishing communities. In fact, evidence suggests that both perspectives may have merit.  Under certain conditions, MPAs can provide both biodiversity and social benefits, while in other settings tradeoffs exist between biodiversity conservation and social welfare.

Because scientists have not yet developed a convincing explanation for these variations in social and biological performance, decision-makers set marine resource policy in ignorance, not knowing whether their choices will benefit people, the environment, or both.  Similarly, the scientific community seeks to better understand the role that MPAs (including no-take areas and fisheries replenishment areas) can play in broader fisheries management regimes, including traditional management systems and innovative rights-based approaches (e.g., catch shares and territorial use rights in fisheries (TURFs)).

Illustrative research questions

• What are the social impacts of MPAs?  How do these vary across domains of social well-being? How do these vary within and among social groups?
• What are the ecological impacts of MPAs?  How do these vary with dispersal ability of taxa, trophic structure or functional groups, and ecosystems or habitats? 
• What explains the variation in ecological and social impacts across MPAs?  How does MPA governance shape these impacts?
• How do MPAs contribute to broader-scale regional Marine Spatial Planning objectives? 
• How do MPAs contribute to broader-scale rights-based fisheries management systems?

Learn more about WWF’s Conservation Impact Initiative.

Learn more about solving the mystery of MPA performance.

WWF-US Priority Marine Regions for the Fuller RFP

Bering Sea
Coastal East Africa (coastal and marine areas of Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania)
Coral Triangle (Bismarck-Solomon Seas, Banda-Flores Seas, Sulu-Sulawesi Seas)
Gulf of California
Mesoamerican Reef
Galápagos Marine