Conservation faces “opportunity bottleneck” as talented young scientists struggle to find sustainable careers

The conservation field is experiencing a troubling paradox: while passionate young scientists are eager to protect endangered species and ecosystems, most can’t find stable, sustainable careers in the field. Paul Barnes, who leads the Zoological Society of London’s EDGE of Existence program, has witnessed this crisis firsthand through conversations with early-career conservationists across multiple regions.

The numbers tell a stark story. After hosting four workshops globally, Barnes received 1,700 applications for just 10 fellowship positions—a ratio that has become painfully common throughout the conservation sector. The young scientists he meets aren’t complaining about difficult fieldwork or challenging research conditions. Instead, they’re struggling with basic survival: paying rent, managing unstable short-term contracts, dealing with harassment at remote research sites, and fighting constant burnout from financial insecurity.

Barnes argues that conservation has entered an “opportunity bottleneck” where talent and viable projects exist, but the infrastructure to support long-term careers does not. Traditional large-scale funding, with its slow disbursement processes and heavy reporting requirements, hasn’t adapted to meet these needs. Recent cuts to major government aid programs have only highlighted how fragile these funding pipelines can be.

The solution, Barnes suggests, lies in small grants that act as financial “capillaries” in the conservation ecosystem. These modest funding sources deploy quickly, remain accessible to emerging organizations, and adapt flexibly to local conditions. Evidence from established small-grant programs shows they’ve successfully helped establish protected areas, advance species recovery efforts, and strengthen community-based conservation initiatives—often achieving results that larger donors struggle to replicate.