Scientific Translation of Research Knowledge (STORK)
In accordance with its 2022-27 Strategic Plan, the U.S. NABCI Committee has identified five priority goals that advance bird conservation in North America and across the hemisphere. These include several areas for enhancing work with Latin American and Caribbean partners to increase full annual cycle conservation opportunities. U.S. NABCI seeks to achieve these objectives in part by identifying and reducing systemic barriers to research and conservation efforts in locations used by North American breeding birds during the migratory and non-breeding periods.
As populations of migratory birds breeding in the United States and Canada have declined, it has become evident that the collective conservation community requires the best available science from across the full annual cycle of birds to develop effective and just conservation actions.
However, critical scientific information of high conservation value being produced in Latin America and the Caribbean often does not reach the broader community due to systemic barriers of English-language translation for publication in English-language peer-reviewed ornithological and other scientific journals. Overcoming these barriers often requires significant time and effort not expended by English-speaking scientists.
To help address these barriers, U.S. NABCI has created the STORK Grant system for professional translation of scientific research. These grants will provide monetary support to researchers from countries in the Western hemisphere outside of the United States that wish to publish scientific findings in English-language peer-reviewed journals but are in need of professional translation assistance.
Granting Scope: The U.S. NABCI Committee will select up to four authors per year to receive professional translation services. Grants will be awarded semi-annually, coinciding with the twice-yearly meetings of the U.S. NABCI Committee. Successful awardees must wait at least one full grant cycle after receiving an award before being considered eligible for future grants.
Applicant Eligibility: In order to be considered, the lead author of the manuscript to be translated must have an active affiliation with an institution based primarily outside of the United States and/or be a current resident of a country other than the United States.
Manuscript Eligibility: Materials eligible for translation services are restricted to original research intended for publication in an English-language peer-reviewed scientific journal. Preference will be shown to manuscripts intended to be submitted to a journal focused on either ornithology or conservation. Manuscripts can be written in any language but must be in a form ready for scientific publication and formatted to a target journal. Authors must be able to demonstrate a connection between their research and the conservation of migratory bird species.
To Apply: Please download and read the following guidance document. To submit an application, provide the information listed on the final page and send via email to bwilkinson AT fishwildlife.org.
The deadline to be considered for the current round is 15 July 2024.