MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New Darwin Plus Funding Round, 2026, for South Georgia

The Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) is therefore delighted to announce a new round of Darwin Plus funding following the recent pause in the program, and welcome applications that will contribute to the broader aims of the Government.

 The entire landmass of South Georgia and its outlying islands, and the South Sandwich Islands are designated as Specially Protected Areas under The Wildlife and Protected Areas (Specially Protected Areas) Order 2022. These Terrestrial Protected Areas (TPAs) cover over 3,800 km2 and complement the Marine Protected Area, designated in 2012, which covers the whole 1.24 million km2 Maritime Zone, thus ensuring that the whole of SGSSI lies within a protected area system.

The Government would encourage anyone who is considering submitting a Darwin Plus proposal for a SGSSI based project to read the relevant TPA and/or MPA Management Plans and give thought to how their research could support the aims stated in these documents. There are supporting Research and Monitoring Plans (RMPs) for both the TPA and MPA, which identify monitoring activities and research needs to address questions related to the Protected Area objectives and to improve knowledge and understanding of the SGSSI ecosystems. Again, we encourage you to consider how your project may address the research needs within the RMPs to support the management of the TPA and/or MPA.

These Terrestrial Protected Areas cover over 3,800 km2 and complement the
Marine Protected Area, designated in 2012, which covers the
whole 1.24 million km2 Maritime Zone

To allow GSGSSI to consider requests for support we require the following:

1. A completed Darwin application form.
2. A separate document which identifies in detail what resources/facilities/support are being requested from GSGSSI e.g. project partner, funding, letter of support, logistics, staff time, accommodation, lab space and scientific equipment use, boat time, waiving of fees etc. This should also include frequency of project meetings and workshops where GSGSSI will be required/requested to attend. This will allow us to assess whether costings are accurate and fully cover all aspects of undertaking fieldwork on SGSSI and any GSGSSI project involvement.
3. Written motivation outlining how this project aligns with current GSGSSI management challenges or builds on previous scientific endeavour. As appropriate, this should clearly reference the commitments and priorities in the relevant TPA and/or MPA Management Plans that it will help GSGSSI deliver, and which RMP research needs it will support.
4. An outline of how GSGSSI will be included in any outreach and PR and how that supports Government.

These documents should be submitted to GSGSSI at sue.gregory(at)gov.gs by 17:00 (BST) 08 June 2026 (5 working days prior to the Darwin Stage 1 submission deadline of 15 June 2026).

Except in exceptional circumstances, we will not be able to support or prioritize submissions made later than this deadline.

GSGSSI will rank requests for support based on how the research aligns with GSGSSI priorities and what level of collaboration and engagement is required from Government staff.
Applicants should also be aware that access to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is always challenging with limited berths available for input/uplift from the Territories. As of May 2028, the current charter of the Fisheries Patrol Vessel (Pharos SG) will cease, and a replacement vessel will take over that role. At this time, we are unable to confirm the capacity or costings for the replacement vessel. 

* Please note that for Darwin funding, it is important applicants provide GSGSSI with as much information as possible at the Stage 1 application phase. If invited to submit a Stage 2 application, GSGSSI will invite applicants to provide further details as the project develops. Projects that have not sought to engage GSGSSI during Stage 1 will not be eligible to receive a letter of support for Stage 2