ITTO Fellowship Programme 2026 For Emerging Forestry Leaders (Up To US$10,000 Grant)

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The ITTO Fellowship Programme 2026 is now open for applications. ITTO offers fellowships through the Freezailah Fellowship Fund to promote human resource development and to strengthen professional expertise in member countries in tropical forestry and related disciplines. The goal is to promote the sustainable management of tropical forests, the efficient use and processing of tropical timber, and better economic information about the international trade in tropical timber.

ITTO Fellowship Programme Objective

To develop human resources and enhance professional expertise in member countries in tropical forestry, tropical timber industries and related disciplines, with a view to promoting sustainable management of tropical forests, efficient utilization and processing of tropical timber, and better economic information on the international trade in tropical timber.

Award

The maximum amount for a fellowship is US$10,000.
ITTO Fellowships provides tuition/training/conference fees, transportation fees, daily subsistence allowance, book allowance and other allowances.
For post-gradate studies, only a partial tuition fee or a small research grant can be provided. Approved Fellowships are non-transferable to other programmes or institutions.

ITTO Fellowship Programme Priority Areas

Based on the expected outcomes and cross-cutting actions identified in the ITTO Strategic Action Plan 2022-2026 eligible activities will aim at developing human resources and professional expertise in one or more of the following areas (in no priority order):

Promote good governance and enabling policy frameworks for strengthening SFM and related trade, and enhancing SFM financing and investment;
Increase the contribution of tropical forests to national and local economies, including through international trade;
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in tropical timber producing forests;
Reduce tropical deforestation and forest degradation and enhance the provision of environmental services;
Improve the quality and availability of information on tropical forests, forest product markets and trade; and
Build and develop human resource capacity to implement SFM and increase trade in forest goods and services from sustainably managed forests.

Eligibility Criteria

Only nationals of ITTO Member countries are eligible to apply.
Awards are to be made to individuals not to institutions.
Previous ITTO Fellowship awardees are not eligible to apply for another ITTO Fellowship within two years of receiving the first award and submitting to the Secretariat a final report on the activity for which the award was made.

Eligible activities

Participation in international/regional conferences, short-term training courses, training internships at industries, research and educational institutions, study tours, and lecture/demonstration tours;
Technical document preparation, publication and dissemination, such as manuals, monographs and short videos/documentaries;
Small grants for post-graduate studies.
ITTO gives preference to short-term activities.

Selection criteria

Fellowship applications will be assessed against the following selection criteria (in no priority order):

Consistency of the proposed activity with the Programme’s objective and priority areas;
Qualifications of the applicant to undertake the proposed Fellowship activity;
The potential of the skills and knowledge acquired or advanced under the Fellowship activity to lead to wider applications and benefits nationally and internationally;
Reasonableness of costs in relation to the proposed Fellowship activity.

Additional consideration will be given to:

Geographic and gender balance;
Balance among the ITTO priority areas;
Competency in the language in which the training will be given, where applicable (eg courses, conferences, study tours).

The ITTO Fellowships are awarded mainly to nationals of developing countries. However, ITTO may award Fellowships to nationals of consumer developed countries when: (a) the activities for which the awards are made are carried out in Producer Member countries and the activities tend to benefit Producer Member countries; and/or (b) there is evidence of technology transfer for activities to be carried out in developed countries.