Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks – 2026-27 NEW Species Conservation Program
Overview
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.
The program objectives include:
- preserving and rehabilitating habitat, and enhancing other areas so that they can become habitat
- supporting public education and outreach programs relating to conservation
- 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
Eligibility Criteria
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
- special concern
You can find more information, including eligibility requirements and annual funding priorities, in the 2026-27 Species Conservation Program Guidelines.
Sponsor’s Website
Internal Contacts
Deadlines
| Faculty Deadline | Consult your Faculty Research Facilitator. |
| OVPRII Approval Form Deadline | November 20, 2025 |
| Submission Deadline | November 27, 2025 by 3pm EST |
Submitting Your Application
- Step 1) Submit an internal Carleton Approval Form
Login to CUResearch and submit an internal Approval Form
Download the CUResearch user’s guide on submitting an Approval Form. - Step 2) Submit an external application to the granting agency
Submit an external application to the corresponding grant or award agency by following the Sponsor’s submission guidelines.