OUR SPONSORS

National Science Foundation, USA

NSF research funding was crucial in establishing paraecologist programmes, training paraecologists and building research facilities. It remains one of our principal sources of funding. Seven research projects, all heavily relying on paraecologists, have been funded so far:
DEB-94-07297

Insect herbivores associated with Ficus spp.in Papua New Guinea
(S. E. Miller, A. Allison and Y. Basset, 1994 – 1996):
DEB-96-29751

Species richness and host specificity of leaf-chewing insects feeding on rainforest trees in Papua New Guinea
(S. E. Miller, Y. Basset, L. Orsak, A. Allison and V. Novotny, 1996 – 1997):
DEB-97-07928

Host specificity and species richness of tropical insect herbivores in Papua New Guinea: an outcome of ecological factors or evolutionary history?
(S.E. Miller, Y. Basset, V. Novotny, G. D. Weiblen and A. Allison, 1997 – 2002):
DEB-98-01259

Phylogenetic systematics and evolutionary ecology of dioecious figs and their pollinators.
(M.J. Donoghue & G.D. Weiblen, 1998 – 1999):
DEB-02-11591

Beta diversity of caterpillars (Lepidoptera) in lowland rainforests: testing predictions of host specificity
(G. D. Weiblen, Y. Basset, S. E. Miller and V. Novotny, 2002 – 2005):
DEB-02-11591

Phylogeny and Pollination Biology of Castilleae (Moraceae): Investigating the Evolutionary History of the Figs’ Closest Relatives
(G. D. Weiblen 2006-2008):
DEB-0603768

Plant-insect food webs and tropical rain forest succession
(G. D. Weiblen, Y. Basset, S. E. Miller, V. Novotny, 2005-2008):
DEB-0515678

Survey and inventory of New Guinea forest trees and arthropods
(G. D. Weiblen, Y. Basset, S. E. Miller, V. Novotny, 2008-2011):
DEB-0816749

Beta diversity of plant-insect food webs along an altitudinal gradient in the tropics
(G. D. Weiblen, Y. Basset, S. E. Miller, V. Novotny, 2009-2012):
DEB-0841885

Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species, U. K.

Darwin Initiative supports the training of local paraecologists and postgraduate students for biological research and also contributes to building of the Centre’s facilities. The aim of the project is to establish the Centre as a prime Papua New Guinean facility for insect biodiversity surveys. So far, we have obtained funding for two projects, one for paraecologist and one for student training:
            Developing local capacity for biodiversity surveys in Papua New Guinea
(A.J.A. Stewart and V. Novotny, 2001 – 2004, additional post-project funding 2005-2007) – [link]
            Training the next generation of Papua New Guinean conservation biologists.
(A. J. A. Stewart, A. Vogler, V. Novotny and A. Mack, 2005 – 2008, Project No. 14-054)
            Building biodiversity research capacity to protect PNG rainforest from logging
(A.J.A. Stewart, M. Peck and V. Novotny, 2012-2015, Project No. 19-008) – [link]

Grant Agency of the Czech Academy of Science, Czech Republic

Four research projects funded so far provided continuous support for paraecologist training and funded their participation in research:
            C6-007-501: Ecological factors important for community composition of insect herbivores on Ficus species in a lowland rain forest.
(V. Novotny, 1995)
            A6007705: Species richness and host specificity of sap-sucking insects on rain forest trees in New Guinea.
(V. Novotny and J. Leps, 1996-1999)
            A6007106: Beta-diversity of insect herbivores in tropical lowland forests: relationships with host specificity and plant resources.
(V. Novotny, J. Leps and L. Cizek, 2001 – 2005)
            IAA600960712: Interactions between plants, herbivores, parasitoids and predators in a tropical rainforest: disentangling a complex food web.
(V. Novotny, J. Leps, L. Cizek, M. Janda and J. Hrcek, 2007-2011)
            GEO research station for the study of rainforest dynamics, PI, Czech Academy of Sciences Infrastructure Fund,
(V. Novotny, 2009).

Grant Agency of the Czech Republic

The Czech Science Foundation is playing increasingly important role in supporting our research and training, presently being one of our two most important supporters (together with NSF).
Three research projects included paraecologist training and research:
            206/99/1112: Host specificity and diversity of sap-sucking insects in a lowland rain forest: an outcome of ecological factors or evolutionary history? (V. Novotny and J. Leps, 1999 – 2001)
            206/03/H034: Plant, insects and vertebrates: integrated study of ecological and evolutionary interactions on the population and ecosystem level. (P. Kindlmann et al., 2003-2008)
            206/04/0725: Beta-diversity of rainforest Lepidoptera along an altitudinal gradient: effects of plant distribution, environmental factors and geological history (V. Novotny, J. Leps and L Cizek, 2004-2006). This project was given the Best Project Award by the Czech Grant Agency in 2007.
            206/09/0115: Ecological determinants of biodiversity distribution in tropical forests: a synthesis for Lepidoptera communities in New Guinea (V. Novotny, J. Leps 2009-2013)
            P505/10/0673: Inter-specific interactions in complex food webs of tropical rain forests: a whole-forest experimental approach (V. Novotny. J. Leps, 2010-1013)

Czech Ministry of Education

These research projects were awarded by program Kontakt, providing Czech cost-sharing for our National Science Foundation (USA) funded projects:
            ES041: Species richness and host specificity of leaf-chewing insects feeding on rainforest trees in Papua New Guinea (V. Novotny and J. Leps, 1996 – 2001).
            FRVS: Ecology of insect communities in tropical rainforests of  Papua New Guinea (L. Cizek, M. Janda and V. Novotny, 2001 – 2002)
            ME646: Beta diversity of caterpillars (Lepidoptera) in lowland rainforests: testing predictions of host specificity (V. Novotny and J. Leps, 2003-2006)
            ME916: Trophic interactions between plants and insects during ecological succession in tropical rainforests (V. Novotny, J. Leps, L. Cizek, 2007-2009)
            ME09082: Inventory of arthropods in a lowland rainforest in New Guinea (V. Novotny, J. Leps, 2009-2011)

The project by PNGBF explored possibilities for collaboration between grassroots villagers, paraecologists and researchers:
            Host specificity of insect herbivores on rain forest trees: a study involving ecologists, taxonomists, parataxonomists and village collectors (V. Novotny, 2000 – 2001)

Otto Kinne Foundation, Germany

Two fellowships awarded by the Foundation to V. Novotny initiated research with an important involvement by paraecologists:
            Ecology of insects feeding on rainforest trees in Papua New Guinea (V. Novotny, 1995)
            Beta-diversity of herbivorous insects in lowland tropical rainforests of Papua New Guinea (V. Novotny, 2001)

National Geographic Society

Funding from National Geographic Society provided historically the first funding for paraecologist work in our history, back in 1994, as well as more recent funding:
           5398-94: Species richness and host specificity of leaf-chewing insects feeding on rainforest trees in Papua New Guinea (Y. Basset, 1994 – 1995)
           7649-04: Insect herbivores along an altitudinal gradient: biodiversity research and environmental education in remote Papua New Guinea (V. Novotny, B. Kaupa, M. Mogia, G. Weiblen, Y. Basset, 2005-2006)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

The Ministry provided development aid for improvement of education opportunities in Papua New Guinea. So far, our centre administered two projects, building classrooms for village children.
           Schola ludus: a new chance for children from the Papua New Guinean village of Nagada (V. Novotny, 2007)
           Didactica magna: a chance for education for children from the village of Riwo (Papua New Guinea), (V. Novotny, 2010)

John Swire and Sons provided private funding for Swire Research Station and associated community development and conservation projects for Wanang Village (2008-2010).

Christensen Fund USA

The Christensen Fund is supporting our training and research activities with the focus on cultural aspects of biodiversity.
            Connecting indigenous natural history knowledge with modern biological science in rainforest communities of Papua New Guinea (C. Dahl, 2009-2010)

Smithsonian Center for Tropical Forest Science CTFS is supporting the establishment and first survey of 50-ha forest dynamics plot in Wanang.