The Jack Kimmel International Grant Program, championed by the Canadian TREE Fund, honors the late Jack Kimmel who was the former Director of Parks for the City of Toronto. He is remembered for his contribution of 46 years of leadership to the ISA and its Ontario chapter. Jack Kimmel grants provide much needed funding to arboriculture and urban forestry researchers all over the world. This grant is administered by TREE Fund, with participation from the Canadian TREE Fund in the evaluation process.
These grants are available to researchers whose work is primarily outside of the United States. Projects are expected to be completed within one to two years. Grant award amounts are limited to a maximum of $10,000 and will vary depending upon the adjudged value of the project relative to the needs of the arboriculture community.
TREE FUND RESEARCH PRIORITIES
TREE Fund’s current research priorities include the following areas of professional interest; proposals outside of these core areas must clearly and explicitly identify why TREE Fund consideration of the requested scopes of work is warranted:
- 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. Arborists are increasingly dealing with problems that originate in or could be avoided during the planting process.
- 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. Improved understanding of natural and anthropogenic factors that impact plant health is most likely to lead to new pest/pathogen management strategies for use 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. Detection and prevention of structural degradation of trees via decay and other factors are especially important. However, practitioners face additional challenges when working in sites with live utility wires and whenever their work requires leaving the ground to attend to problem areas. Thus, research leading to improved equipment and work practices is also a high priority.
- 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.
TREE Fund does not fund the following types of projects, and will not accept applications for such work:
- Projects that are primarily municipal tree surveys or assessments;
- Tree planting programs;
- Studies of individual tree species for the primary purpose of agricultural or timber/forest planting yield;
- Commercial tree- or soil-related product testing primarily for the benefit of the company that manufactures the product.
APPLICATION PROCESS
TREE Fund will accept applications only between August 1 and October 1, 2018. To apply, send an email containing a brief (no more than 100 words) description of your project title and concept to [email protected]. TREE Fund staff with confirm eligibility for consideration, and if your concept qualifies, will send you a numbered application form for your use.
Upon completion of this application form, you will save a Word version for your records, then create a PDF version of the completed document with title in the format “PI Surname, Grant Program, Application Number” (e.g. “Smith, Kimmel International, #17-023”), and email it as an attachment to [email protected] with a PDF of PI and Co-PI (if applicable) CVs. Staff will confirm receipt of your application at that time.
In addition to contact and CV information for the PI, Co-PI(s), and any student assistants, applicants will need the following information to complete the form. Note well that word count limits are firm and absolute. Exceeding word counts may result in your application being rejected before review. Applicants should compose their text in Word or related systems that allow counts to be confirmed before they are placed in the application form.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Staff will screen all applications for applicant eligibility, word counts, alignment with TREE Fund mission, and compliance with minimum requirements, then forward compliant applications to TREE Fund’s Research and Education Committee. Members of this committee will score your proposal as follows:
- Qualifications of the investigative team: 10 points
- Potential impact of the project: 25 points
- Approach: 35 points
- Dissemination plan: 10 points
- Feasibility: 15 points
- Discretionary: 5 points.
- Total Maximum Possible Score: 100 points.
Application Start: August 1st 2018
Deadline: October 1st 2018
