Funding opportunities
There are several financial incentives offered to encourage ringers to undertake RAS projects:
- RAS ringers are entitled to claim a £25 rebate against the cost of the annual fee that is paid when renewing your permit each year.
- If your RAS project uses colour rings, you do not have to pay the annual administration fee for using colour rings.
- Active RAS ringers are eligible to apply for project support of up to £100 each year, for each RAS project undertaken (subject to available funding). This can be provided ‘in-kind’ e.g. £100 worth of rings or ringing equipment supplied by the BTO, or it can be provided as money towards costs incurred e.g. colour rings, boat costs and so on.
In addition to the incentives offered to RAS ringers, there are various other funding opportunities that seabird ringers might want to consider.
A limited number of Razorbill and Guillemot rings are provided free of charge each year. To apply for these, please contact anne.trewhitt [at] bto.org (Anne Trewhitt) by the end of February of the year you require them.
Certain species qualify for a partial refund on the cost of rings used in the breeding season. The value of the refund varies by species - details can be found on the ringers-only pages of the BTO website, here. The following seabirds qualify for a refund:
- Arctic Skua, Black-headed Gull (pulli), Common Gull, Kittiwake, Black Guillemot, Puffin, Great Skua, Herring Gull (pulli), Cormorant
A variety of organisations offer grants to individuals or groups and these are outlined below.
Funding opportunities
British Birds Charitable Trust
To expand the interest in birds across as many and as diverse a population of people as possible, with the focus being on projects involving birds of the Western Palearctic (whether on their breeding grounds or their wintering areas to the south) and the UK Overseas Territories.
- Grant amount: up to £3,000
- Available for: individuals and groups
- Application deadline: 30 September
- Covers: travel, overnight costs, equipment, research
Click here for more information.
British Birds Young Birder Grant
To encourage young people with their birding.
- Grant amount: up to £250
- Available for: individuals
- Application deadline: 28 February
- Covers: travel, overnight costs, equipment, research
Click here for more information.
Scottish Ornithological Society Research and survey grants
To support studies to further the knowledge of the birds of Scotland. To contribute to the conservation of the birds of Scotland.
- Grant amount: the whole pot is £3,600
- Duration: up to three years
- Available for: individuals and groups
- Application deadline: 31 January
- Covers: travel, overnight costs, equipment, research
Click here for more information.
Welsh Ornithological Society small grant scheme
Towards projects that benefit species listed as priorities on the application form.
- Grant amount: £1,000 (75% of full cost)
- Available for: individuals and groups
- Application deadline: 31 December and 30 June
- Covers: travel, overnight costs, equipment, research
Click here for more information.
The Seabird Group Research Grant
The Seabird Group supports projects on seabirds, focussing in particular on the research, survey and conservation of seabirds. Priority is given to Seabird Group members working on Atlantic seabirds.
- Grant amount: up to £500
- Available for: individuals and groups
- Application deadline: 31 October and 28 February
- Covers: travel, overnight costs, equipment, research
Click here for more information.
The Seabird Group Training Grant
For individuals to use towards travel, accommodation and subsistence in order to undertake unpaid seabird-focussed fieldwork or volunteering.
- Grant amount: up to £250
- Available for: individuals, over the age of 18 and with limited or no previous experience with seabirds
- Application deadline: 28 February
- Covers: travel, overnight costs
Click here for more information.
BTO Young Bird Observatory Volunteers programme
To support young people looking to visit one of the accredited British and Irish Bird Observatories.
- Grant amount: up to £200
- Available for: individuals up to the age of 24
- Application deadline: 28 February
- Covers: travel, overnight costs
Click here for more information.
BTO Research Grants
To support ornithological research projects by BTO members, and holders of BTO ringing permits only.
- Grant amount: up to £500
- Duration: up to three years
- Available for: individuals
- Application deadline: 15 December
- Covers: travel, equipment, research
Click here for more information.
BTO Seabird Ringing Grants for ringing groups
To provide training for new people to engage in seabird monitoring, including ringing. Group grants are intended to help cover the costs of existing seabird ringing projects/trips or to set up new seabird ringing projects/trips to provide additional places on ringing trips for new participants (places are allocated to recipients of the 'BTO Seabird Ringing Grants for individuals' - see below).
- Grant amount: up to £1,500
- Available for: ringing groups
- Application deadline: usually January – date TBC
- Covers: travel, overnight costs, equipment
More information will be emailed to all registered ringers when available.
BTO Seabird Ringing Grants for individuals
To provide training for new people to engage in seabird monitoring, including ringing. Individual grants are intended to help with the costs of travel or accommodation incurred in getting to sites. Recipients of these grants are offered a place on one of the projects awarded a grant through the 'BTO Seabird Ringing Grants for ringing groups' listed above.
- Grant amount: up to £250
- Available for: individuals
- Application deadline: usually February – date TBC
- Covers: travel, overnight costs, equipment
More information will be emailed to all registered ringers when available.
BOU Small research grants
Open to BOU members only. The grants aim to support small projects outright and to part-fund medium-sized research programmes on any aspect of ornithology.
- Grant amount: up to £2,000 per project
- Available for: individuals
- Application deadline: 31 October
- Covers: whole project costs (or part thereof)
Click here for more information.
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