Open Ocean Research Grant Program

Global Fishing Watch, an international non-profit organization founded by Oceana, SkyTruth, and Google, is offering the Open Ocean Research Grant Program to enhance global ocean governance. This initiative is supported by the Audacious Project and seeks to expand the Global Fishing Watch datasets, which reveal human activity at sea. The program supports research that applies these datasets to develop technological innovations and inform ocean conservation and fisheries management decisions. The purpose of the program is to grow the Global Fishing Watch research network and enhance the public use of their data by funding research that demonstrates novel applications or improvements to core datasets. The grant supports both individual and group researchers working in collaboration with civil society and government partners, emphasizing projects that align with the organization’s strategic priorities: increasing transparency at sea, combating illegal fishing, supporting small-scale fishers, enhancing marine protection, fostering international cooperation, and informing sustainable management. Funding for individual applicants is capped at $10,000, typically for graduate students and early career researchers. Groups, defined as small laboratories or teams of two to five individuals led by a principal investigator, can receive up to $20,000. An additional common fund is available for costs related to dissemination, such as publication fees and conference participation, awarded on a case-by-case basis. Projects should last between 12 to 24 months, with an earliest start date of August 1, 2025. Eligibility includes PhD students, researchers, and developers affiliated with academic, nonprofit, or governmental institutions. Unaffiliated individuals may also apply, provided they submit strong evidence of relevant technical expertise. The application must be submitted in English through the provided form and include a project narrative (up to six pages), a one-page budget and budget justification, team CVs, and optional supporting materials like related publications. Applications are evaluated on five criteria: scientific merit, relevance to Global Fishing Watch’s impact areas, capacity building in local contexts, alignment with priority geographies (with specific tiered points), and the qualifications and cost-effectiveness of the proposed budget. Projects focused on countries identified as Tier 1 or Tier 2 geographies receive additional scoring consideration. Key dates include the application opening on May 6, 2025, an informational webinar in late May, the application deadline on June 17, 2025, and the anticipated award notification on July 31, 2025. For inquiries, the primary contact is Kara Miller, reachable via email at kara.miller@globalfishingwatch.org or by phone at +1 503 807 3179.