Adrien Pajot
- @Adrien_Pajot
- | He/His
WILDLABS
Fauna & Flora
Our community has shared countless stories of struggling to find financial support for the indispensable parts of their work that don’t fit into the flashy, attention-grabbing proposals that attract funders. Developing training materials, creating thorough documentation, or maintaining technical infrastructure are often seen as too "boring" to be a priority for traditional grants—they lack the excitement or immediate impact that typically attracts financial support.
However, these types of projects and initiatives are crucial for the long-term success and sustainability of the field. By investing in these foundational elements, the entire sector benefits from improved efficiency and a stronger infrastructure, setting the stage for more successful, scalable projects in the future. Supporting the “boring” initiatives will help build a more resilient and effective ecosystem of work.
We are proud to introduce The Boring Fund as our first step in addressing this challenge. Launched with the support of Arm, the leading semiconductor design company, this initiative will provide funding for the critical but frequently overlooked aspects of conservation technology. With this initiative, our goal is to build a programme that will ensure these essential components receive the necessary attention and support.
What are we looking for?
This fund will support often-overlooked needs in our sector that would benefit the wider conservation technology community. These include:
- Training materials: Creating essential training resources such as online courses, instructional videos, or detailed guidelines
- Documentation and guidance: Publishing documentation and comprehensive guidance that is shareable and usable by the community.
- Knowledge transfer: Sharing expertise across teams, organizations, and communities.
- Self-led learning initiatives: Providing access to online courses, dedicated experts, certifications, or relevant literature.
- Expert intervention: Funding the participation of experts to enhance the collective knowledge of the conservation technology community on specific topics.
- Events: Organizing webinars, in-person or virtual meetups, workshops, and other gatherings that foster learning and networking with the community.
- Community management: Activities that engage and sustain active conservation technology communities through WILDLABS.NET.
- Technical debt management: Maintaining and improving technical infrastructure, servers, or backend systems that benefit communities of users.
- Maintaining existing technology: Supporting core, existing technology infrastructure to benefit the conservation technology sector and community. Note: This is not to build new features and components, please apply to the WILDLABS Awards for this work.
- And much more, including other initiatives that contribute to the growth and sustainability of the conservation technology community.
Boring Fund 2024 Details
For more information about Eligibility, Selection criteria and judging, visit the Further Information page.
- $50,000 available
- Supporting up to 10 projects
- Funds should be spent by April 2025
- The maximum amount per project is $12,500, but we encourage applying for smaller amounts
In addition to funding, awardees will have access to a public platform to share and publish progress and results, with project coverage through Arm and WILDLABS communication channels. These channels will include virtual events, case studies, and interviews. The WILDLABS team will provide additional support to ensure that project updates and results are widely shared throughout our community and beyond.
Key Dates
- Launch: 16 September, 2024
- Applications Close: 9 October, 2024
- Selection: October - November 2024
- Award Given: November - December 2024
How do I apply?
- Review The Boring Fund: Terms and Conditions
- Ensure you have thoroughly read the Launch Page and the Further Information Page
- Complete The Boring Fund 2024 Application Form
The submission deadline is Wednesday, 9 October, 2024 at 11:55 PM GMT.
Contact us
If you have any questions about The Boring Fund, please ask them on the following thread or contact awards@wildlabs.net