National Geographic calls the application of Stories of Tropical Rainforests 2020.

Tropical rainforests cover about two percent of Earth’s total surface area, but they provide habitat for half of terrestrial plants and animals on earth. Millions of indigenous peoples who call these rainforests home — as they have for millennia — have proven to be the best guardians of these forests, but other human influences have never been a more imminent threat. Today is a time of great challenge and great opportunity in the rainforests of the Amazon River basin, the Congo River basin, and the Indonesian and Malaysian archipelagos.

National Geographic seeks journalists, photographers, filmmakers, cartographers, data visualizers, and socially-connected storytellers who can show what the National Geographic might lose if these biomes are not protected and highlight potential solutions that have the power to create real, sustainable improvements.

Funding

Proposals from National Geographic Stories of Tropical Rainforests will be funded from the local equivalent of $5,000 to $70,000 USD with clear justification necessary for budget requests. Budgets of successful proposals will include reasonable, well-justified costs directly required to complete the project.

Criteria

Journalists and storytellers (photo, film, text, maps, data visualization) are allowed to apply, as are social media influencers and content creators looking to highlight traditional and indigenous knowledge on their channels and indigenous youth aiming to expand their storytelling on YouTube and Instagram. Priority for this RFP will be given to projects led by journalists and storytellers from countries within the relevant regions (Amazon River basin, Congo River basin, and rainforests in southeast Asia). Projects that benefit local communities or incorporate local voices are also strongly encouraged, as are local-language outputs.

If you are applying as a vlogger, please submit a short video (two minutes or less) of yourself describing the following:

• A brief description of your project
• Why you’re excited about this project
• What you hope to accomplish with this project

Please note: National Geographic has postponed the original deadline for this opportunity in response to global disruptions from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). October 21, 2020, is the next deadline to submit a proposal for this funding opportunity.

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