Deadline: 1 October 2017
The TREE Fund is seeking applications for its “John Z. Duling Grant Program” to provide start-up or seed funding to support innovative research and technology transfer projects that have the potential of benefiting the everyday work of arborists.
John Z. Duling Grants may be used to support exploratory work in the early stages of untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas and approaches.
The John Z. Duling Grant Program was established and funded by a bequest from the estate of John Z. Duling of Indiana, a strong advocate of research who in 1972 proposed the establishment of the ISA Research Trust.
Research Priorities
- Root and soil management: Many urban tree problems originate below ground. Promoting root development, protecting roots from injury, managing conflicts with infrastructure, improving existing soil, and/or use of other media for root growth are issues that arborists encounter regularly.
- Tree planting and establishment: Methods of ensuring survival and vigorous growth of trees after planting are of concern to arborists and the entire green industry.
- Plant health care: Healthy plants have more effective defense systems, are better able to resist pests, and often require less life-time investment of resources for successful performance in the field.
- Risk assessment and worker safety: Safety is a major concern to practicing arborists, especially as incomplete knowledge of potential hazards can be a life-or-death issue for both tree workers and the public they serve.
- Urban and community forest management: Trees offer significant economic and health benefits to their home communities, and maximizing these benefits requires an improved understanding of how urban forest ecosystems function, how they should be managed, and how they interact with people in communities and at the urban/rural interface.
Funding Information
Projects are expected to be completed within one to three years with a maximum grant award of $25,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- TREE Fund does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national or ethnic origin.
- Current trustees of TREE Fund or any member of the family of any such trustee are ineligible to receive grants from TREE Fund.
- Selection Criteria:
- Potential impact of the topic
- Approach
- Feasibility
- Budget
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
For more information, please visit The Tree Fund.