Garden Club of America Awards in Tropical Botany
Individuals are eligible to apply if they anticipate completing the requirements for a Ph.D. in Botany within two years and are enrolled in a United States university. Applicants must already be Ph.D. candidates.
Established to promote the preservation of tropical forests by enlarging the body of botanists with field experience. The program, administered by World Wildlife Fund, enables doctoral candidates to pursue independent field study in the tropics. Their research has the potential to significantly contribute to critical issues of tropical botany and notably impact tropical conservation. Selection is by a panel of botanists appointed by World Wildlife Fund. One award is granted for a systematics study and one for ecology.
There is no formal application form. Candidates should submit an application packet including the following:
- a curriculum vitae;
- evidence of foreign language capability, if necessary for country of research;
- a two-page statement of the proposed research, including its relevance to conservation, beginning with a one-to-three sentence summary statement of the proposal’s purpose, field location, plant group/vegetation type and questions to be answered;
- a personal letter describing the candidate's plans for the future and commitment to tropical conservation; and
- a letter of recommendation from the student's graduate advisor, including an evaluation of the student's progress to date.
Fieldwork must be in tropical countries.