SWOT grants support sea turtle conservation work that addresses priority populations, threats, and data gaps. This year, SWOT will award 15-20 grants of $1,000 USD to projects in four categories: 1) Conservation Action; 2) Behavior Change for Conservation; 3) Networking and Capacity Building; and 4) Research for Conservation Data Gaps.

Download detailed proposal criteria and guidelines here.

Please submit your proposal by completing and submitting this form by October 9, 2026. You will be able to save and continue your application as you go. If you are not able to use the online form or have any issues, please contact bandimere@oceanicsociety.org.

Note: This year, we will only accept one proposal per group/project/applicant.

This category seeks projects that reduce threats to sea turtles through education and outreach efforts that target specific human behaviors. Priority will be given to projects that have a clear audience defined, a specific behavior that will be targeted (i.e. littering, adopting new fishing gear, etc.), and metrics in place to measure success. This may include:

• Development of behavior change strategies, including audience surveys, focus groups, etc.;
• Community efforts to counter sea turtle threats (pollution, coastal development, etc.);
• Efforts to  promote alternative livelihoods for communities (ecotourism, crafts production, etc.) in sea turtle areas; 
• Efforts to engage fishers to implement specific bycatch reduction efforts.

Download detailed proposal criteria and guidelines here.

Please Register your Project on the Sea Turtle Directory

Have you registered your organization/institution on SWOT's Sea Turtle Directory? If not please do so by following the instructions found here.

Note: individuals and short-term or temporary projects are exempt.

Below, please tell us about your:

a) Target Audience(s): Who will your behavior change project target? (e.g., fishers, local government, etc.) Please list only one per row. If your project will target multiple groups, please add a row.

b) Target Behavior(s): Explain what behavior within your target audience you hope to influence through your outreach/education (e.g., littering, consumption of sea turtle eggs, adoption of bycatch reduction technology, etc.) Please list only one per row. If your project will target multiple behaviors, please add a row.

c) Outcome Goal(s): If successful, what will your project accomplish (e.g. less plastic on the beach, fewer accidentally captured turtles, etc.)

d) Metrics for Success: How will you measure the success of your project? Please use quantitative metrics (e.g. number of beach cleanups, number of participants reached, number of bycaught turtles, etc.)

This category aims to assist projects that convene, build, or strengthen networks or communities, or build capacity to deliver sea turtle conservation; this may include efforts to:

• Education and training workshops that improve local capacity to deliver sea turtle conservation goals;
• Strengthen networks that facilitate information-sharing and coordinate sea turtle conservation efforts;
• Build local or regional capacity for sea turtle research and conservation including improving enforcement capabilities, training in sea turtle handling and release, and increasing expertise/technical capacity.

Download detailed proposal criteria and guidelines here.

Please Register your Project on the Sea Turtle Directory

Have you registered your organization/institution on the sea turtle directory? If not please do so by following the instructions found here.

Note: individuals and short-term or temporary projects are exempt.

This category aims to support projects that fill critical gaps in scientific knowledge about sea turtles that will support conservation; this may include:

• Assessments of poorly known or recently discovered sea turtle populations; 
• Research that will help address a specific threat, conservation issue, or management objective. 

Download detailed proposal criteria and guidelines here.

Please Register your Project on the Sea Turtle Directory

Have you registered your organization/institution on the sea turtle directory? If not please do so by following the instructions found here.

Note: individuals and short-term or temporary projects are exempt.

This category seeks projects that take direct action to address an acute threat to any sea turtle life stage. Priority will be given to projects that address bycatch, direct take (harvest, trade, consumption), climate change, coastal development, or pollution. Projects that qualify for this category may include:

• Nesting beach protection at sites where survival of eggs, hatchling, or adult turtles face an acute threat;  
• Rescue and rehabilitation involving a critically endangered species or population;
• Programs that reduce or mitigate the impacts of pollution on nesting beaches or at sea;
• Efforts to curtail direct take or diminish illegal trade;
• Efforts to curtail the impacts of coastal development to a critically endangered species or population;
• Programs that aim to reduce fisheries impacts through actions such as ghost gear removal or bycatch reduction.

Download detailed proposal criteria and guidelines here.

Please Register your Project on the Sea Turtle Directory

Have you registered your organization/institution on the sea turtle directory? If not please do so by following the instructions found here.

Note: individuals and short-term or temporary projects are exempt.