Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks: Species Conservation Program
The Species Conservation Program was created to encourage people and organizations to get involved in conserving species at risk and their habitats through stewardship activities. It’s part of Ontario’s track record of strong environmental stewardship, preserving the rich biodiversity of our province for future generations.
Program objectives include:
- Supporting other activities to assist in the protection and conservation of species, such as direct threat mitigation, field-based surveys and monitoring, research and local and Indigenous knowledge collection.
- Preserving and rehabilitating habitat, and enhancing other areas so that they can become habitat.
- Supporting public education and outreach programs relating to conservation.
Visit the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks website for more information on the Species Conservation Program.
This program is currently closed. The details below reflect the previous call and are for general information purposes only.
Eligibility
The fund is open to individuals and groups across Ontario, including:
- Academic institutions
- Businesses
- Consulting companies
- Indigenous communities and organizations
- Individuals
- Industry organizations
- Landowners and farmers
- Municipal and local governments
- Non-government organizations
To be eligible for consideration, conservation projects must benefit species that have been assessed by the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) as extirpated, endangered, threatened or of special concern.
You can find more information, including eligibility requirements and annual funding priorities, in the 2026-27 Species Conservation Program Guidelines.
Deadlines
- Faculty deadline: consult your Faculty Research Facilitator
- Office of the Vice-President (Research, Innovation and International) (OVPRII) Approval Form deadline: November 20, 2025
- Submission to sponsor: November 27, 2025 by 3 p.m. (EST)
Submitting Your Application
- Submit an internal Approval Form through our central awards management database cuResearch.
- Submit an external application to Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks by following their submission guidelines.
Contact Us
Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss this funding opportunity with their Faculty Research Facilitator.