Support research on Strategic Engagement

Volunteering

Overview

Support research on strategic engagement with a focus on coral reef conservation.

You have:

• Experience in research with excellent writing skills is required.
• Background knowledge and working experience in relevant areas such as environmental finance is desirable.
• A degree in a related field is considered an asset.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

This role will be situated within the UN Global Team of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), a multi-partner initiative convened by United Nations Capital Development Fund, United Nations Development Programme, and United Nations Environment Programme. GFCR works to help protect coral reef ecosystems and support the coastal communities that depend on them, through innovative financing, partnerships, and on-the-ground implementation.

Coral reefs are among the most economically valuable ecosystems globally, contributing an estimated USD 9.9 trillion annually through ecosystem services such as fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection. However, financing for reef conservation remains fragmented and insufficient relative to this value. GFCR has been established to help address this gap by mobilising and blending public, philanthropic, and private capital to support reef-positive solutions at scale.

Within this broader context, the GFCR operates as both:

A UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund providing catalytic grant financing; and A broader investment platform working with partners to unlock additional private and impact investment into reef-positive sectors such as sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, wastewater management, and circular economy solutions.

The volunteer contribution will support ongoing efforts to strengthen this integrated approach. This includes advancing elements of GFCR’s seascape-based model, which links science, policy, delivery systems, and finance to enable scalable and sustainable interventions across priority coral reef geographies.

The volunteer’s work will contribute to one or more of the following organizational priorities:

Strengthening the science–policy–finance continuum, ensuring that reef conservation priorities are translated into actionable and investable opportunities; Supporting resource mobilisation and partnership development, including engagement with governments, donors, and private sector actors; Enhancing knowledge products, communications, and strategic materials, which are used to inform high-level decision-making and global advocacy; Contributing to the development of innovative financing mechanisms and investment pipelines aligned with sustainable ocean economy objectives.

To successfully contribute to this assignment, the volunteer should be aware that GFCR:

Operates through a multi-stakeholder partnership model, involving governments, UN agencies, financial institutions, and civil society; Focuses on climate-resilient coral reefs with the potential to serve as long-term ecological “bio-banks”; Emphasizes blended finance approaches, combining grants with concessional and private capital to de-risk investments; Works primarily in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and coastal developing countries, where reefs are central to livelihoods and economic resilience; Aligns its work with global frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG14 (Life Below Water).

The volunteer will therefore be contributing to a high-impact, globally coordinated effort aimed at closing the gap between the ecological importance of coral reefs and the financial systems required to sustain them. Their work will directly support the development of scalable solutions that link conservation outcomes with economic opportunity and long-term resilience.

We are looking for 5 of Online Volunteers who have experience in research with excellent writing skills. The task will include the following responsibilities: - Discuss and determine parameters for the research - Identify and gather sources - Conduct research - Develop a short report on the findings

The average estimated workload is expected to include roughly reviewing 8 documents (these can include articles, studies, etc.) throughout the assignment duration.

The Online Volunteer/s will have the opportunity to build connections with the GFCR Secretariat and learn about how research on innovative environmental finance can support resource mobilisation and knowledge building.

Candidates should have strong research and analytical skills. Background knowledge and working experience in [region/country/area/topic] is desirable. A degree in a related field is considered an asset.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 months ago - Updated 2 months ago - Source: unv.org