Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP)
2025 Request for Proposals to fund expert teams to deliver rapid solutions to the most critical challenges facing humans and our planet.

*Accepting Concept Notes November 3, 2025 to January 6, 2026*
->New for 2025<-
Concept notes submission is required. Only approved concept notes will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Website: https://snappartnership.net/
Email: snapp@snappartnership.net

Overview and Criteria

SNAPP is a global collaboration between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) advancing evidence-based, scalable solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges at the intersection of nature conservation, sustainable development, and human well-being. Each year, SNAPP provides up to US $1 million total across 4-6 approved working groups. The SNAPP approach is based in collaborative science and encourages proposal development that is co-designed by a wide variety of stakeholders, sectors, and administrative levels, including local, state, federal and tribal governments, non-profit organizations, research institutions, and other implementing partners.

Proposed working groups are led by 2-3 Principal Investigators (PIs) from separate organizations and sectors, composed of 12-15 members from a diversity of non-profit, academic, tribal, community, government or mission-driven entities. Novel trans-sectoral collaborations that include local leadership are highly encouraged. Groups engage a full time research fellow and convene 2-3 times in person over a 24-month period. Between convenings, members collaborate remotely; work with long-term implementation partners; identify emerging opportunities for tangible, lasting change; develop and test tools and products; and publish research. Please see the "What we fund" tab for more details.

The most successful proposals will include:

Advancing Science, Driving Conservation: Transforming scientific knowledge to implementation
Visionary, Cross-Sectoral Science: Inter-organizational collaboration that would not have happened in the absence of SNAPP funds
High Impact Research: Outcome oriented science outputs (papers, reports, scientific findings, co-created with decision-makers)
Developing Future Conservation Science Leaders: Capacity development for interdisciplinary science-to-action Research Fellows

If you have questions about SNAPP or encounter any technical issues while using this portal, please reach out to snapp@snapppartnership.net and allow 5 business days for a response. Please note that concept notes or proposals sent to this email will not be reviewed, and the applicant will be directed to kindly submit through our online portal.

Full SNAPP proposals are evaluated on the following criteria:

Research Question The question(s) that the proposal will address are clearly at the intersection of nature conservation and sustainable development, are critically important, and the proposed work will add value to the current state of knowledge.

Methods: The proposal clearly incorporates both biophysical and socioeconomic methods and analysis. The choice of methods is appropriate for the question(s).

Data: The data and information sources are interdisciplinary and include both biophysical and socioeconomic sciences. Datasets or sources of information the applicant anticipates using for this project are comprehensive and appropriate for addressing the question using methods described. Permissions to use or share data have been or will be secured, as appropriate.

Research Outputs: Tangible high-impact research outputs (papers, reports, scientific findings, information provided to decision-makers) that will be produced during the timeline of the proposed working group.

Co-creation: The group composition includes confirmed members representing multiple sectors, disciplines and worldviews. This is a collaborative effort with no one or two organizations dominating and include all relevant stakeholders.

Research Fellows: The proposal budget includes at least one full-time research fellow with a well-thought-out mentorship plan. Hosting institution is indicated along with salary and benefits rate and agreement to adhere to SNAPP’s 0% indirect cost rate.

Implementation: The proposal specifically outlines which organizations are eager for the scientific results from this group, and it is reasonably clear how they will be used to improve conservation and sustainable development policy and practice. Detailed letters of support are included from these organizations.

Concept Notes

Accepted November 3, 2025 to January 6, 2026

Before developing a full proposal for the 2025 SNAPP call for proposals, applicants are required to submit a "concept note" through our online portal for review. The “concept note” form is a brief, pre-proposal questionnaire, with questions on proposed research questions, methods, data, research outputs, co-creation, research fellows, and implementing partners, It includes a draft budget and working group roster.

Beginning January 7, 2026 all concept notes will be reviewed for alignment with SNAPP’s mission and scope of funding. Only concept note submissions invited to submit a full proposal will receive feedback on their submission. All applicants will be informed of the status of their concept note by February 17, 2026.

To start a concept note, log into the system or create an account the link to the right. Then navigate to the "My Dashboard" menu within the system.

Be sure to review the What We Fund tab before crafting your concept note. Only concept notes submitted through this portal will be accepted.

If you have questions about SNAPP or encounter any technical issues while using this portal, please reach out to snapp@snapppartnership.net and allow 5 business days for a response. Please note that concept notes or proposals sent to this email will not be reviewed, and the applicant will be directed to kindly submit through our online portal.

Submitting a Full Proposal

*The Full RFP Proposal Form will be open by invitation only to applicants who submitted successful concept notes, from February 17, 2026 to April 6, 2026*

Please note that a full proposal will require at least two letters of support from an organization eager to use the results of your working group’s research; you will need to plan to secure these letters in advance of the deadline. Applicants can submit up to three letters of support.

Please email snapp@snappartnership.net with any questions about the proposal process or technical issues with the portal and allow 5 business days for a response.

What We Can and Cannot Fund

SNAPP welcomes all proposals! Here is a list of what we can and cannot fund to help you determine which part of your proposal is a good fit for SNAPP. For more information on the details of SNAPP grant funding, please review our SNAPP Grant Financial FAQs

We can fund:

Research Fellows: Salary, benefits and other direct costs of Research Fellows, who may be postdoctoral associates, graduate students and, in some cases, research assistants. (SNAPP maintains a 0% Indirect Cost Policy for all agreements. For more information, please review the "Indirect Costs" tab above)
Virtual and in-person meetings: third-party neutral facilitators (required for the first in-person meeting), meeting planners, hotel, catering, venue and technology, as well as reasonable individual attendee travel expenses.
Specialized research support: Independent contractors or the actual time of technical employees conducting analysis, graphic design, webpage development, and similar activities for the working group.
Direct Support: Modest funding for direct administrative support for SNAPP grants activities. These must be integral to the project, specifically identifiable, and explicitly budgeted (SNAPP does not provide funding for overhead or indirect costs).

We do not fund:

Salary for Principal Investigators/Leaders
Primary data collection or fieldwork
Equipment, vehicles, building infrastructure
Lobbying
Research without a direct link to implementation
Conservation planning or projects without a direct link to advancing science
Overhead or indirect costs

SNAPP recognizes that items we cannot fund may be legitimate and necessary part of your research and implementation expenses. We provide this reference to help you self-select if SNAPP is the right fit for your project.

Indirect Costs

Since its inception, SNAPP has maintained a published Indirect Cost Policy that funds awarded by the program are subject to a 0% indirect cost rate. This guidance is a contingency of SNAPP funding and applies to both the primary recipient and any sub-awardees. SNAPP funds may be applied to fringe benefits for Research Fellows and other direct costs associated with conducting the work.

Use of Information in SNAPP Proposals

SNAPP is a partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). All information submitted through the SNAPP proposal portal may be viewed by staff at the foundational partner organizations supporting the SNAPP RFP, Board of Directors, Science Advisory Council, and affiliates for the express purpose of consideration for SNAPP funding. The information submitted is kept confidential and will not be shared outside this group. As an exception, SNAPP may occasionally share a proposal confidentially with an interested co-funder. Applicants may opt out of having their application shared with other funders by so indicating at the end of the “Consent” tab in the application. Contact information is not shared outside the SNAPP review and administration process.

SNAPP Records, including proposals and other records mentioned above, are stored on TNC systems. More information about TNC’s privacy practices can be found here.