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Ocean Funding Opportunities

Ocean Funding Opportunities

A running list of open grants, fellowships, awards and contests for ocean and coastal work, sorted by closing date. Every entry has been checked against the funder’s own page. Deadlines and amounts are as published by the funder; confirm both before you apply.

Last updated: 20 October 2026.

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Closing in October 2026

Ocean Film Festival World Tour 2027

Deadline: 22 October 2026 regular deadline (late 12 November, extended 4 December)
Amount: Not applicable (screening royalties paid per screening rather than a one-off cash prize)

The Ocean Film Festival World Tour is accepting ocean documentary films under 60 minutes for its 2027 programme, across categories covering ocean exploration, sport and adventure, the ocean environment, coastal culture, and marine wildlife and science. Films produced before 2024 are not eligible, and films in languages other than English require English subtitles. Selected films are announced in January 2027, with the tour running through March 2027 and screenings planned in Australia, the UK, Spain, New Zealand, and Italy. Filmmakers are paid a screening royalty calculated on minutes screened across the tour. Entry fees range from USD 7 to 20 depending on the submission deadline.

Whitley Awards 2027

Deadline: 30 October 2026 (23:59 GMT)
Amount: GBP 50,000 in project funding over one year

The Whitley Fund for Nature makes annual awards to mid-career grassroots conservation leaders in the Global South, funding proven, science-based solutions that deliver lasting results for both people and nature. Applications covering marine, terrestrial, and freshwater work are all welcomed, at both species and wider ecosystem level. Applicants must generally be nationals of the country where their project is based and work for a locally incorporated NGO, charity, not-for-profit organisation, or eligible university, with a demonstrated track record in conservation. Three referees are required, and it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure references arrive before the deadline; the Fund states that submissions using templates from previous years will not be considered. Projects run for 12 months and are expected to begin in or shortly after June 2027, with winners announced at the awards ceremony in London in spring 2027.

Closing in November 2026

Smithsonian Marine Station Fellowships

Deadline: 1 November 2026 (deadlines 1 May and 1 November each year)
Amount: USD 9,000 for the 12-week Link Foundation graduate fellowship; USD 3,000 per month for short-term fellowships

The Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Florida, offers fellowships ranging from short-term graduate awards to postdoctoral and established-investigator positions. Link Foundation fellowships fund current graduate students to carry out independent research on site for 12 weeks, at any time of year, working with Smithsonian research staff. Short-term fellowships of one to six months are open to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, with notification on 1 June and 1 December. Applications are submitted through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointments system.

Environmental Photography Award 2027

Deadline: 1 November 2026 (23:59 CET)
Amount: EUR 5,000 grand prize; EUR 1,000 per category winner; EUR 500 each for the Public Award and Students’ Choice Award

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s annual photography award rewards photographers whose work raises awareness of environmental protection, and one of its five categories is dedicated to the ocean: images of the richness of seas and oceans and the diversity of marine wildlife, taken under the surface only. The other categories are Polar Regions, which includes the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, Forests, Changemakers, and Humanity versus Nature. Entry is free and open to photographers of all nationalities aged 18 or over on 1 November 2026, with up to five images per category. Images must have been taken no earlier than 1 September 2021, and AI-generated, composited or staged images are not accepted. The 36 shortlisted images are exhibited in Monaco and on an international tour and published in the award book, with winners announced on 26 April 2027.

Behavior Change for Climate Action Challenge

Deadline: 1 November 2026 (23:59 ET)
Amount: USD 7,000 per organisation, plus technical assistance, to three nonprofits

The Center for Behavior and Climate is running its Behavior Change for Climate Action Challenge for another year, seeking nonprofits applying evidence-based behaviour change tools to high-impact climate actions that reduce CO2 emissions. Eligible climate areas include blue carbon restoration, renewable energy, electrification of cars, trucks or buses, building benchmarking, energy efficiency, food choices, and public action such as policy support, volunteering, and voting. Proposals must describe the behaviour change tools to be used. The programme targets adults aged 18 and over, whether groups or individuals, and does not fund environmental education projects for children. Three nonprofits are selected, each receiving USD 7,000 for a new or existing climate action project plus a workshop and continued technical support from CBC. Applications run to three pages and are requested by emailing infocbc@bds.com.

NESTA Planet Stewards Program, 2027 cohort

Deadline: 1 November 2026 (midnight PST)
Amount: Up to USD 5,000 per project; 10 projects funded

The National Earth Science Teachers Association, continuing the NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project in partnership with NOAA, funds hands-on, action-based stewardship projects led by formal and informal educators working with elementary through college-age students or the general public. Projects must make a substantive, measurable impact on an environmental issue in the applicant’s community, begin in spring 2027, and conclude by the end of June 2028. Funds are paid to the affiliated school, district, non-profit or institution rather than to the educator, and cannot cover salaries other than substitute teachers, personal conference attendance or overhead. Preference goes to educators working in pairs or groups, projects spanning multiple classrooms or schools, and projects with external partners and plans to continue beyond the funding period. Decisions are announced by 27 January 2027, and programme questions go to planetstewards@nestanet.org.

Florida Bay’s Future Protector Scholarship

Deadline: 1 November 2026
Amount: Not specified in the announcement

Florida Bay Forever, a nonprofit based in Islamorada, and The College of the Florida Keys have launched their first scholarship for Florida Keys students interested in protecting the natural environment. Applicants respond to a single prompt: if they had unlimited financial resources, what would they do to preserve and restore Florida Bay, the Everglades and surrounding ecosystems? Questions go to info@floridabayforever.org.

Our Shared Ocean: Mobility and Travel Grants 2026

Deadline: 5 November 2026
Amount: EUR 500 to 2,000 for conferences, workshops and training courses; up to EUR 6,000 for research visits

Our Shared Ocean is a programme of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through Irish Aid, administered by the Marine Institute, supporting research, knowledge exchange and capacity building with Small Island Developing States. Support is aimed mainly at SIDS in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea region. This round covers events taking place up to 31 March 2027, and grants are paid to organisations rather than directly to individuals.

NFWF Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative 2027

Deadline: 5 November 2026 (23:59 ET) for full proposals
Amount: Most awards USD 75,000 to 200,000, with four to six grants expected; a separate USD 172,800 is available for one piping plover project

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is funding full-lifecycle conservation of three coastal shorebirds, the American oystercatcher, red knot and whimbrel, at priority sites along the US Atlantic seaboard, the Gulf coast, and wintering grounds in the Caribbean and South America. Priorities for 2027 include predator management and human disturbance reduction for oystercatchers, stopover monitoring and movement tracking for red knots and whimbrels, habitat management at breeding, staging and wintering sites, new Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network designations, and filling gaps on non-breeding birds in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. A separate award will support site-based management to raise Atlantic piping plover breeding productivity, with priority given to Virginia; it has no match requirement. Main awards require at least a 1:1 non-federal match and run for one to three years. Non-profits, government agencies at every level, tribal governments, educational institutions and international organisations can apply through NFWF’s Easygrants system, while businesses and individuals cannot. Awards are announced in March 2027.

Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program, 2027 to 2028 funding cycle

Deadline: 6 November 2026 (17:00)
Amount: Not specified on the call page

Funded by a share of the revenue from Florida’s Sea Turtle Specialty License Plate and administered by the non-profit Sea Turtle Conservancy, this programme distributes funds each year for sea turtle research, conservation, and education work benefiting Florida sea turtles. Applicants must submit both a digital copy through the online submission form and one signed original printed hard copy postmarked by the same deadline, a change from previous years when eight hard copies were required. The cover sheet, budget, and body of the proposal must be in MS Word format rather than PDF, with supporting documents accepted as PDFs. Proposal review completes in January 2027, the grant committee meets in March 2027, and funded projects are expected to begin around 1 May 2027 and run for one year. Projects requiring Marine Turtle Permits must have the final permit approved by the date of the committee meeting.

IMarEST Outstanding Contribution Award 2026

Deadline: 7 November 2026
Amount: Not applicable (certificate and trophy)

The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology recognises an individual, company or organisation that has made a significant contribution to improvements in the marine sector, with the award presented at the Institute’s Annual Dinner. Nominations must come from an IMarEST member, though nominees do not need to be members. A description of the contribution of up to 1,000 words is required, and IMarEST staff and Trustees are not eligible.

Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future 5th Call for Proposals

Deadline: 13 November 2026 for concept papers (call opened 20 July 2026)
Amount: Community grants up to BZD 100,000; medium grants BZD 50,000 to 150,000; large grants BZD 150,000 to 500,000

The Belize Fund, the financing mechanism of Belize’s Blue Bonds, is inviting concept papers for its 2026 to 2027 funding cycle across three thematic areas: sustainable fisheries covering gear, traceability, catch data monitoring, and fisher capacity; climate resilience through nature-based solutions, restoration, and reduced nutrient and sediment loading; and blue business innovation including mariculture, reef-positive tourism, circular economy work, and value-added marine biodiversity products. Applicants with accepted concept papers are invited to develop full proposals, with technical working sessions provided for community grant applicants. Eligible entities must be registered with the Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry and operational in Belize for at least one year, and community grant applicants must be located in a coastal community. Co-financing of 10 to 25 per cent is required depending on grant size.

Save Our Seas Foundation Ocean Storytelling Photography Grant 2026

Deadline: 15 November 2026 (the grant’s own page gives 30 November, 18:00 CET; apply by the earlier date to be safe)
Amount: A paid, mentored assignment; the amount is not specified

The Save Our Seas Foundation, based in Geneva, funds early-career and emerging photographers to tell conservation stories about the ocean. The call is not limited to underwater photography: story topics can range from marine animals themselves to fisheries and the communities whose lives are intertwined with marine life. Applicants should have no more than five years of professional experience in any photography-related discipline, and the Foundation especially encourages women and applicants from South and Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, as well as from underrepresented communities. Applications are made in English through a one-stage form on the SOSF grant portal, with a portfolio of 20 images and a photo story of 10 images; only one application is accepted per applicant or team, applicants holding another current SOSF grant cannot apply, and candidates may also be put forward by nomination. Review takes between four and eight weeks.

EquiSea Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) Travel Award

Deadline: 15 November 2026 (applications reviewed on a rolling basis until then)
Amount: Not specified

The Ocean Foundation’s EquiSea initiative offers travel grants to attend conferences, symposiums and meetings relevant to marine carbon dioxide removal, with priority for applicants from outside Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. Travel should not be primarily for research, and presenting is not required. Applications should go in at least two months before the conference, and those seeking support for the Oceans in a High CO2 World meeting must use a separate cohort application. The grants are funded by the ClimateWorks Foundation.

International Blue Carbon Institute Fellowship 2027

Deadline: 23 November 2026
Amount: USD 60,000 over two years

The International Blue Carbon Institute at Conservation International supports experts and professionals across disciplines working to protect, conserve and restore blue carbon ecosystems, selecting one Fellow for a two-year programme. The grant can fund new or existing work, including laboratory travel, equipment, publication fees and field assistants, and Fellows may also receive support to attend the annual International Blue Carbon Scientific Working Group meetings. Applicants should be past the early-career stage, with an advanced master’s or PhD and five years of expertise. Applications are welcome from all regions, with researchers and practitioners in the Global South strongly encouraged and those from Africa particularly encouraged this cycle; all blue carbon ecosystems qualify, including mangroves, salt marshes, seagrasses and kelp forests. The Fellow will be announced in March 2027, and questions go to IBCI@conservation.org.

Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program, FY2026

Deadline: 30 November 2026 (23:59 ET)
Amount: USD 2,350,000 estimated total programme funding

The US Fish and Wildlife Service provides financial assistance to eligible marine mammal stranding participants and stranding network collaborators. Funding covers the recovery, care and treatment of sick, injured or entangled marine mammals, emergency stranding response, the collection of data and samples from living or dead stranded animals for health research, directly related facility operating costs, and building stranding network capacity, including emergency response training where facilities are absent or sparse. Applicants must be authorised by the Fish and Wildlife Service under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and awards are made as cooperative agreements.

Women Divers Hall of Fame 2027 Scholarships and Training Grants

Deadline: 30 November 2026 (applications open 1 October 2026)
Amount: 19 categories of scholarships and training grants valued at more than USD 100,000 in total; individual amounts vary by category

The Women Divers Hall of Fame awards scholarships and training grants each year to individuals of all ages, providing financial and educational support for independent research, fieldwork, conservation and restoration activities, and diving and diving-related training. Scholarship categories in recent cycles have covered marine conservation research, marine biology, underwater archaeology, sea turtle conservation, and journalism, graphic arts, photography and videography, alongside a range of dive training grants; full descriptions of the 2027 categories are published on the WDHOF website. Every application requires two letters of recommendation from people able to comment on the applicant’s ability to complete the proposed project or training, and neither applications nor letters are accepted after the deadline. Awards are announced in mid-February 2027 and made in March 2027, so the organisation asks applicants not to apply if the funds are needed before then.

Closing in December 2026

MSC Ocean Stewardship Fund: Transition Assistance Fund 2026 to 2027

Deadline: 1 December 2026 (23:59 UTC)
Amount: Up to GBP 50,000 for projects of up to two years

The Marine Stewardship Council’s Transition Assistance Fund supports fisheries that are verified as improving towards MSC certification through the MSC Improvement Program. Grants of up to GBP 50,000 cover projects running for up to two years. Applications are made through the MSC’s online grants portal, with the 2026 to 2027 application guidance available on the funding page. The MSC encourages applicants to contact their local MSC representative before applying.

Ocean Art 2026 Underwater Photo Competition

Deadline: 6 December 2026 (23:59 PST)
Amount: Prizes worth more than USD 50,000 in total, provided by sponsors

The Underwater Photography Guide’s 15th annual international underwater photography awards are open for entries across 15 categories: wide-angle, macro, marine life behaviour, portrait, underwater digital art, compact wide-angle, black and white, blackwater, underwater conservation, compact macro, underwater fashion, compact behaviour, cold water, nudibranch, and a smartphone category new for 2026. Entries are accepted only through the competition’s online portal, and entrants are asked to read the competition details page before submitting. Winning images from previous editions have been shared widely by international media outlets.

The Next Swell Grants, Q4 2026 review

Deadline: 31 December 2026 (quarterly reviews close 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December)
Amount: Up to USD 1,200

The Next Swell is a US nonprofit that funds graduate students in marine conservation-oriented fields. Its grants cover research-related costs such as equipment and travel, and are not awarded for tuition, conferences or basic living expenses. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with awards made quarterly, and applicants hear back within two weeks of the end of each review period. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents pursuing a master’s or PhD, with a project that directly benefits marine conservation, and need a one-page proposal, a budget and a letter of recommendation from an advisor or principal investigator.

Closing in January 2027

Garden Club of America Coastal Wetlands Studies Scholarship

Deadline: 10 January 2027 (applications open 10 November 2026)
Amount: USD 5,000 per award

The Garden Club of America funds graduate students carrying out field-based research in US coastal wetlands, defined as tidal or non-tidal wetlands within the coastal states, including the Great Lakes states. Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate programme at a US university and be US citizens or permanent residents, and may apply to only one GCA-sponsored scholarship per year. Applications are reviewed by a committee of practising wetland scientists at the Center for Coastal Resources Management at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which nominates candidates to the Garden Club of America for final selection. Selection weighs technical merit and relevance to wetlands conservation, with a preference for students early in their degree programmes.

PADI Foundation Grant Program, 2027 cycle

Deadline: 15 January 2027 (applications open 1 November 2026)
Amount: Up to USD 15,000; most awards USD 5,000 to 10,000

The PADI Foundation funds research and education projects that expand knowledge of aquatic environments, improve understanding of diving physiology and diver safety, and address challenges facing ocean and coastal ecosystems. For 2027 the Foundation has raised its ceiling to USD 15,000, with particular consideration for diving-physiology and diver-safety research. There are no nationality restrictions, and proposals may address both scuba and freediving. The Foundation generally does not fund overhead or indirect costs, salaries, dive training or standard diving equipment, and applications are submitted through its Common Grant Application platform.

Algalita Wayfinder Society Student Mini-Grants, 2026 to 2027

Deadline: 15 January 2027 (17:00 PT; applications opened 15 October 2026)
Amount: USD 500 per grant; 10 grants

Algalita, a plastic pollution nonprofit based in Long Beach, California, funds students aged 11 to 25 anywhere in the world who are tackling the root causes of plastic pollution in their schools or communities, through projects such as campus reuse systems, repair cafés, cleanups tied to data collection, policy advocacy, education campaigns and creative arts work. Applicants need a Wayfinder Society account, must complete two required online Actions before the deadline, and must name a non-family adult advisor; applications are reviewed in English only. Winners are announced in late February 2027 and receive support from Algalita staff through the school year.

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Art Contest 2027

Deadline: 31 January 2027
Amount: Not applicable (winning artwork featured in a NOAA Fisheries calendar)

NOAA Fisheries’ annual art contest is open to students from kindergarten through eighth grade in all US states and territories, attending public, private or home schools. Students may enter on their own or through a classroom, but each piece must be made individually. The 2027 theme is the sustainable fishing of Atlantic sharks, tunas, swordfish and billfish, with artwork highlighting their role in fisheries, fishing methods and gear, or their relevance to fishing communities. A NOAA panel selects 13 winners, whose work appears in the 2028 Atlantic highly migratory species calendar.

NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship, 2027 cohort

Deadline: 31 January 2027 (23:59 ET; applications opened 1 September 2026)
Amount: Up to USD 40,000, comprising USD 9,500 per year for two years of full-time study, a 10-week paid NOAA summer internship, and funding to present internship research at two national scientific conferences

The Hollings Scholarship supports undergraduates studying NOAA mission fields, including engineering, meteorology, biological sciences, social sciences, physical science and other related disciplines, at accredited colleges and universities in the US or US territories. Applicants must be US citizens with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, typically second-year students in a four-year programme, third-year students in a five-year programme, or community college students planning to transfer to a four-year institution; for the 2027 cycle, eligible students must have an anticipated bachelor’s graduation date between December 2028 and August 2029. Scholars receive an academic award of USD 9,500 per year for two years and complete a 10-week, full-time, paid summer internship at any NOAA facility nationwide between the first and second years of the award. All application materials, including reference forms and transcripts, must be received by the deadline; late or incomplete applications are not reviewed.

Closing in February 2027

MSC Ocean Stewardship Fund: Student Research Grants 2026 to 2027

Deadline: 28 February 2027 (23:59 UTC)
Amount: Up to GBP 10,000 for projects of up to 12 months

The Marine Stewardship Council funds postgraduate students who carry out research with fisheries that are engaged with, or working towards, the MSC Fisheries Standard. Grants of up to GBP 10,000 cover projects running for up to 12 months. Applications are made through the MSC’s online grants portal, with the 2026 to 2027 application guidance available on the funding page. Applicants are encouraged to contact their local MSC representative for guidance.

Closing in March 2027

The Waterloo Foundation Environment Fund: Marine Programme

Deadline: 1 March 2027 (the Marine programme has two fixed deadlines each year, 1 March and 1 September)
Amount: Most grants total GBP 100,000 to 150,000, spread over multiple years

The Waterloo Foundation, an independent grant-making foundation based in Cardiff, runs a Marine programme within its Environment Fund, making one-off and multi-year grants, usually for up to five years. It prioritises UK-based charities, many of which work in close partnership with smaller local NGOs in the countries where they operate; organisations based outside the UK must name a UK-based referee, such as a UK office of an international NGO, a past Waterloo grantee, or a UK-based donor, and applications without one are not considered. There is no application form: proposals of roughly two to three sides of A4 are emailed to applications@waterloofoundation.org.uk, stating that the application is for the Marine programme. Only one application per organisation is considered at a time, the Foundation looks favourably on proposals with match funding already secured, and decisions usually take around six months from submission.

Science Without Borders Challenge 2027

Deadline: 1 March 2027 (23:59 ET)
Amount: Scholarships of up to USD 500

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation’s 15th annual international student art contest takes the 2027 theme “Navigate with Care,” asking students to create artwork showing how safe and responsible navigation can protect marine life, conserve fragile ocean ecosystems, and promote safety at sea. The contest is open to students worldwide aged 11 to 19 who are enrolled in primary or secondary school or the home-school equivalent; college and university students are not eligible. Work is judged in two age categories. New for 2027, entrants must submit two progress photos documenting the creation of their artwork.

The Next Swell Scholarship 2027

Deadline: 15 March 2027 (window opens 15 January 2027)
Amount: Not specified

The Next Swell awards merit-based scholarships to graduate students in marine biology and marine conservation who show a commitment to the field. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents pursuing a master’s or PhD with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.5, and funds must go towards tuition or research costs for the degree.

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