Dear Marmammers, WDC is delighted to announce the commencement of the WDC Bharathi Viswanathan Award for Innovative and Non-Invasive Research. WDC strives to ensure that benign research methods are promoted as a guiding principle, both for the organisation and the researchers that we fund and through this Award, WDC aims to showcase non-invasive research methodologies, highlighting the fact that many of these methods provide scientific data of excellent quality, whilst also promoting the development of innovative and non-invasive approaches towards studying cetaceans.The objective of this Award is to inspire and encourage researchers (both young and old) to use non-invasive methods, which enable researchers to collect data within the context of the environment of their study subjects. These methods, which do not interfere invasively with the study subjects, often enable a more complete picture of their life cycles, interactions and habitat use. Such techniques can still be significantly geeky and technology based that they can produce sound, reliable science that can be used to make a real difference for species and population conservation and for individual protection. The WDC Bharathi Viswanathan Award is about more than just promoting non-invasive research. WDC believes that one of the most important elements of sound conservation management is in understanding how scientific evidence relates to real-world, practical management advice. Therefore, the recipient of this award will, in addition to the main focus of their research, be required to undertake a relevant desk-based project that will examine the nexus between their research and real-world conservation efforts. This project should aim to outline the relevant national legislation and permitting processes pertinent to the use of invasive research techniques within their country; detail the management objectives for their research and the likelihood of practical conservation or welfare benefits resulting from their research; and ultimately, promote non-invasive research amongst their peers and the wider research community. Up to £5,000 is available for the recipient of this annual award. The only restrictions that apply are that the project must utilize only non-invasive techniques and ultimately aim to benefit the conservation management or welfare of whales and/or dolphins. For further information please visit - http://uk.whales.org/wdc-in-action/wdc-bharathi-viswanathan-award-for-innova... Best wishes and Good luck, Nicola [WDC - Whale and Dolphin Conservation]<http://www.whales.org> Nicola Hodgins Head of Science and Research Telephone: +44 (0)1249 449 537 Mobile: +44 (0)7841497597 Skype: nicola.hodgins WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Brookfield House, 38 St Paul Street Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 1LJ United Kingdom whales.org<http://whales.org> [WDC on Facebook]<http://www.facebook.com/fanofWDCS> [WDC on Twitter] <http://www.twitter.com/WHALES_org> [WDC on YouTube] <http://www.youtube.com/wdcsuk> [WDC Blogs] <http://www.whales.org/wdcsblog.php> [WDC E-Newsletter] <http://www.whales.org/newsletter> [http://www.wdcs.co.uk/media/images/EmailSignatureImages/Campaigns/EUtrade.png]<http://uk.whales.org/campaigns/help-stop-transfer-of-whale-products-through-eu-ports> ________________________________ Whale and Dolphin Conservation (“WDC”) is a company registered in England and Wales (No. 02737421) and a registered charity (in England and Wales No. 1014705, in Scotland No. SC040231) WDC Shop is a trading name of WDCS (Trading) Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (No. 02593116) Registered office : Brookfield House, 38 St. Paul Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1LJ. Tel: +44 (0)1249 449 500 This message is private and confidential. If you have received this message in error, please notify us and remove it from your system.