The Garden Club of America’s Anne S. Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany provides at least one grant award of $4,500 annually to support a one-year research project related to medicinal plants. In recent years, three to four awards have been made per year. Eligible candidates include U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are currently enrolled in PhD programs in U.S.-based institutions, in any field of specialty, or who have received a doctoral degree within the last five years.

Research proposals may involve any field of study (e.g., ethnobotany, botany, evolution, conservation, ecology, phytochemistry, or bioactivity) provided that the plant(s) to be studied have medicinal use. An important aspect of the award is that it is intended to enable a student to pursue an avenue of research that might otherwise prove closed. Accordingly, fellowship funds may be used to cover direct costs associated with travel, field work, or laboratory research. However, they may not cover indirect costs, overhead, or student stipends and should not be used to pay for lab space or supplies normally provided by universities.

The fellowship is administered by the Missouri Botanical Garden. Fellowship recipients will be selected by a panel of botanists with expertise in economic botany or ethnobotany, subject to approval by the Garden Club of America Scholarship Committee. Please note that an applicant may only apply to one GCA scholarship, fellowship, or award per year.

Please submit the following:

• a brief application letter
• an abstract of 200 words or less
• a two-page research proposal, single-spaced in 12 pt type, giving the project’s background and purpose and describing activities to be conducted (proposals will be treated as confidential; proposals longer than two pages will be considered ineligible)
• a one-page budget that explains how funds would be used
• a current curriculum vitae
• for graduate students, a letter from an advisor certifying enrollment in a PhD program
• copies of permits for field work or studies including animals, research clearances, and permission from governmental agencies for foreign research (if permits are being applied for but have not yet been obtained, please ensure that the proposal explains the situation)

Proposals must be received by January 31.

Mail applications to wendy.applequist@mobot.org, preferably in the form of a single PDF, or send by postal mail to:

Dr. Wendy Applequist
Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd.
Saint Louis, MO 63110

Please enquire if you do not receive a response to electronic submissions within two business days.

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