TNRC About the Project

Image representing TNRC's four focus areas: wildlife, fisheries, forests, and finance

Targeting Natural Resource Corruption

Harnessing knowledge, generating evidence, and supporting innovative policy and practice for more effective anti-corruption programming

About the Project

Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) is a USAID-funded project to improve biodiversity outcomes by equipping practitioners to address the threats posed by corruption to wildlife, fisheries, and forests. It does this through three Strategic Approaches:

Building Knowledge

Distilling existing anti-corruption knowledge to make it relevant for NRM practitioners

Researching and strengthening evidence on how anti-corruption efforts can help improve biodiversity outcomes

Communicating for Change

Engaging networks and partnerships to exchange knowledge and amplify the reach of anti-corruption information

Empowering others to implement context-appropriate anti-corruption initiatives in NRM

Applying Knowledge and Testing Hypotheses

Piloting and learning from new approaches

Applying broader anti-corruption interventions under Associate Awards


TNRC is implemented by a consortium of leading organizations in anti-corruption, natural resource management, and conservation: World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre at the Chr. Michelsen Institute, TRAFFIC, and the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at George Mason University.

TNRC Project Overview

The TNRC project has focused on advancing knowledge and strengthening capacity, policy, and practice to address the negative impact of corruption on conservation and natural resource management objectives.


TNRC is a Leader with Associates (LWA) award. The Leader Award is managed out of WWF-US and supports research, knowledge dissemination, networking, and piloting new approaches. Up to $35 million for Associate Awards may be mobilized by USAID country offices and other operating units, at their discretion, to support analysis and/or implementation of context-specific anti-corruption programming.

The Associate Awards will leverage and contribute to TNRC's knowledge agenda, while responding to specific programming priorities agreed between USAID missions/operating units and TNRC.


TNRC Award Structure

TNRC is a Leader with Associates award. The Leader Award is a $10 million award (August 2018 - June 2024) that supports research, knowledge dissemination, networking, and piloting new approaches in a limited number of countries.


Associate Awards Under TNRC

Associate Awards under the TNRC mechanism can enable USAID Missions or operating units to analyze and develop a stronger understanding of corruption vulnerabilities and viable entry points for reform; to implement stand-alone activities; and/or to integrate anti-corruption elements into conservation and natural resource management efforts. These awards may be issued at any time up to 26 June 2024 (maximum duration of five years).

Image attribution: © naturepl.com / Jen Guyton / WWF; © Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWF; © Georgina Goodwin / Shoot The Earth / WWF-UK; © Hkun Lat / WWF-Aus