Research and Education
The Gesneriad Society – How You Can Help Support the Society, Students, and Research and Education
The Gesneriad Society, like most non-profits, must rely on its members, friends, and supporters to ensure the Society’s strong financial footing and to help with gesneriad research and education. Three endowment funds have been established by the Society with these goals in mind. In addition, the Society has established a fund to assist students and speakers to attend convention and another to help fund conservation efforts around the globe.
The Frances Batcheller Endowment Fund (FBEF) is the Society’s capital fund, from which the Society draws to help with educational programs to benefit its members and gesneriad growers worldwide.
The Elvin McDonald Research Endowment Fund (EMREF) is the Society’s research fund. This fund is used to underwrite research grants for gesneriad researchers who seek a better understanding of the anatomy, physiology, relationships, distribution, growth and development, or the pests and diseases of gesneriads. Grants may be used for a variety of specific purposes, such as travel during fieldwork to gather specimens or observe pollinators, or travel to examine specimens in herbaria or botanical gardens. Awards may also be used for manuscript preparation, photography, microscopy, molecular or ecological studies, and to supplement other funding that the researcher may receive.
The Nellie D. Sleeth Scholarship Endowment Fund (NDSSEF) was established with a bequest from the estate of Nellie D. Sleeth, a past treasurer of The Gesneriad Society. The fund provides scholarships to interested and deserving students of botany or horticulture. One or more scholarship awards are made each year to students currently enrolled in a college or university who seek a better understanding of the anatomy, ecology, physiology, relationships, distribution, growth and development, horticultural uses, or the pests and diseases of gesneriads. The award may be used for a variety of specific purposes, e.g., travel during fieldwork to gather specimens or observe pollinators, or travel to examine specimens in herbaria or botanical gardens. Awards may also be used for manuscript preparation, photography, microscopy, molecular or ecological studies, and to supplement other funding that the student may receive. Award recipients are known as Sleeth Scholars.
Students and Speakers Convention Fund enables the Society to offer convention grants to graduate and undergraduate students who are studying gesneriads and to offset the travel and lodging costs of speakers at the annual convention.
The Conservation Fund is the Society’s newest fund and will channel grants to specific gesneriad conservation efforts around the world. Grant requests will be reviewed and recommended by an advisory committee based on specific guidelines.
Apply for a Research Grant
The Gesneriad Society, Inc. encourages research on the Gesneriaceae by providing grants from the Elvin McDonald Research Endowment Fund (hereafter, EMREF) to students and researchers who seek a better understanding of the anatomy, physiology, relationships, distribution, growth and development, or the pests and diseases of gesneriads. Grants from EMREF are usually in the range of $500-$2000, and may be used for a variety of specific purposes, such as travel during fieldwork to gather specimens or observe pollinators, or travel to examine specimens in herbaria or botanical gardens. Awards may also be used for manuscript preparation, photography, microscopy, molecular or ecological studies, and to supplement other funding that the researcher may receive. Advice on the fundability of the research may be sought from the EMREF Committee Chair whose name is below.
Guidelines for application for funds from the Elvin McDonald Research Endowment Fund
- Research funded by the EMREF should be carried out at or under the auspices of a research institution, such as a college, university, botanical garden, or equivalent so that adequate facilities, library, and equipment are available to conduct the research.
- Researchers can submit applications for awards by following these guidelines, or applications may be made on the researcher’s behalf. Items that should be part of the application include (the first four items should occupy no more than two single-spaced pages):
- Title of project
- Name, address, telephone, and email address of the applicant
- Brief abstract including the amount of funds requested
- Description of project including objectives and significance of of research
- Literature cited
- Budget, including mention of possible matching or other funds available for the research
- Curriculum vitae of the applicant
- Names, with addresses (preferably email), of persons who might provide letters of recommendation or evaluation of the research, if needed.
- The complete application (postmarked no later than 1 February) should be sent to the EMREF Committee Chair whose name and address appears below and from whom additional information may be sought. The application should be sent as an attachment to an email message, with a signed copy sent by mail or fax. The application will be reviewed by the EMREF Committee, and if worthy of an award, a recommendation for funding will be sent to The Gesneriad Society President who will review the report of the committee for funding. The Gesneriad Society President will grant no awards without prior approval by the EMREF Committee. Recipients will be notified by the end of June.
- A strict accountability of funds must be made to The Gesneriad Society or to the EMREF Committee, and a brief report must be presented soon after the completion of the funded research. The report may be in the form of an article for publication in Gesneriads (or other journal with a brief summary for Gesneriads), and must include an acknowledgement of support by the EMREF. A copy of the publication or a written final report must be submitted to the EMREF Committee. Grant recipients are encouraged to support The Gesneriad Society with articles, plants, seeds, photographs, and information related to the research.
- Awards may be renewed to support continuation of research, or new research by the same applicant may be funded following the same procedures for application provided that a report of the initial research was submitted. Subsequent funding to the same researcher may be less than the initial award to encourage looking elsewhere for funding and to encourage applications by others.
- The EMREF Committee and/or The Gesneriad Society shall neither be held liable for any action the researcher might take while using the awarded funds nor be responsible for any tax implications of the award.
Send completed applications to: Dr. Alain Chautem, Chair Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève (G) Switzerland Email
Apply For a Student Scholarship
The Gesneriad Society, Inc. encourages educational study and research on the Gesneriaceae by providing awards from the Nellie D. Sleeth Scholarship Endowment Fund (hereafter, NDSSEF) to students currently enrolled in a college or university who seek a better understanding of the anatomy, ecology, physiology, relationships, distribution, growth and development, horticultural uses, or the pests and diseases of gesneriads.
One award (currently about $4,500) from the NDSSEF is made each year to a student for a variety of specific purposes, e.g., travel during fieldwork to gather specimens or observe pollinators, or travel to examine specimens in herbaria or botanical gardens. Awards may also be used for manuscript preparation, photography, microscopy, molecular or ecological studies, and to supplement other funding that the student may receive. Advice on the fundability of the research may be sought from the NDSSEF Committee Chair whose name is below.
Guidelines for application for funds from the Nellie D. Sleeth Scholarship Endowment Fund
- Educational study and research funded by the NDSSEF should be carried out at or under the auspices of a college or university, or equivalent so that adequate facilities, library, and equipment are available to conduct the studies.
- Students can submit applications for awards by following these guidelines, or applications may be made on the student’s behalf. Items that must be part of the application include (the first four items should occupy no more than four single-spaced pages):
- Title of project
- Name, address, telephone, and email address of the applicant
- Brief abstract including the amount of funds requested
- Description of project including objectives and significance of research
- Literature cited
- Budget, including mention of possible matching or other funds available for the research
- Curriculum vitae of the applicant
- Names, with addresses (preferably email), of persons who might provide letters of recommendation or evaluation of the research, if needed.
- The complete application (postmarked no later than 1 April) should be sent to the NDSSEF Committee Chair whose name and address appears below and from whom additional information may be sought. The application should be sent as an attachment to an email message, with a signed copy sent by mail or fax by the deadline. The application will be reviewed by the NDSSEF Committee, and if worthy of an award, a recommendation for funding will be sent to The Gesneriad Society President for approval. The Gesneriad Society President will grant no awards without prior approval by the NDSSEF Committee. The award winner will be announced by the end of June.
- A strict accountability of funds must be made to The Gesneriad Society and/or the NDSSEF Committee, and a brief report must be presented soon after the completion of the funded project. The report may be in the form of an article for publication in Gesneriads (or other journal with a brief summary for Gesneriads) and must include an acknowledgement of support by the NDSSEF. A copy of the publication or a written final report must be submitted to the NDSSEF Committee. Award recipients are encouraged to support The Gesneriad Society with articles, plants, seeds, photographs, and information related to the research.
- Awards will not be renewed to support continuation of education or research. New studies by the same applicant, however, may be funded following the same procedures for application provided that a report of the initial research was submitted. Subsequent funding to the same student will be looked upon with less favor to encourage students to look elsewhere for funding and to encourage applications by others.
- The NDSSEF Committee and The Gesneriad Society shall neither be held liable for any action the student might take while using the awarded funds nor be responsible for any tax implications of the award.
Send completed applications to:
Jonathan Ertelt, Chair
Nellie D. Sleeth Scholarship Endowment Fund Committee
120 Oak Street
Sewanee, TN 37375 USA Email
Recipients of Elvin McDonald Research Grants and Nellie D. Sleeth Scholarships from The Gesneriad Society
The Gesneriad Society established the Elvin McDonald Research grants in 1986 and the Nellie D. Sleeth Scholarships in 2005 in order to assist researchers and students in their work with gesneriads.
Research grants and scholarships are awarded based on the submission of proposals from gesneriad researchers and students from around the world. Guidelines for submitting an application for an Elvin McDonald Research Grant can be found here; guidelines for submitting an application for a Nellie D. Sleeth Scholarship can be found here.
The Gesneriad Society is proud to have supported these researchers and students in their work in expanding our knowledge of the Gesneriaceae. Recent recipients of these grants and scholarships are:
| Year | Award Type | Recipient(s) & Project(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | NDSSEF: | Zulfadli from Indonesia (Exploration of Aeschynanthus in Sulawesi, Indonesia) |
| 2022 | EMREF: | S.B. Rhuthuparna from India (Understanding the role of phylogeny and ecology in driving floral diversity in Indian Gesneriaceae M.K. Akhil from India (An integrative approach based on taxonomic and molecular analysis of the genus Aeschynanthus (Gesneriaceae) in India) Dr. A.P. Janeesha from India (Gesneriaceae of South India — a pictorial guide) |
| 2021 | EMREF: | Roland Putra Pribadi Ahmad from Indonesia (Exploration for Gesneriaceae in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia) |
| 2020 | EMREF: | Katharine Arango Gomez from Colombia (Kohleria) Prasanna Naibi Shrungeshwara from India (Didymocarpus) |
| 2020 | NDSSEF: | Talita Kely Bellonzi from Brazil (Paradrymonia and Nautilocalyx) |
| 2019 | EMREF: | Laura Clavijo from Colombia (Kohleria) Hong Xin from China (Primulina) |
| 2019 | NDSSEF: | Kimberly Hansen from the United States (Kohleria) |
| 2018 | EMREF: | Kimberly Hansen from the United States (Kohleria) |
| 2018 | NDSSEF: | N. S. Prasanna from India (Didymocarpus) |
| 2017 | EMREF: | Tomas N. Hasing from the United States (Sinningia speciosa); Melissa A. Johnson from the United States (Cyrtandra) |
| NDSSEF: | Erandi Ramirez Aguirre from Mexico (Achimenes) | |
| 2016 | EMREF: | Galya Petrova from Bulgaria (Ramonda); Wade Roberts from the United States (Achimenes) |
| NDSSEF: | Yun-Yu Chen from the United Kingdom (Streptocarps); Hong Xin from China (Primulina) | |
| 2015 | EMREF: | Gabriel E. Ferreira from Brazil (Besleria); Melissa A. Johnson from the United States (Cyrtandra) |
| NDSSEF: | Carlos Martel from Germany (Pollination ecology) | |
| 2014 | EMREF: | Hannah Atkins from Scotland (Cyrtandra); Dr. Paulo Milet-Pinheiro from Germany (Gloxinia perennis) |
| NDSSEF: | Gabriel Emiliano Ferreira from Brazil (Besleria) | |
| 2013 | EMREF: | Jason Martin from the United States (Resia); Dave Zaitlin from the United States (Sinningia) |
| NDSSEF: | Oscar Humberto Marin Gómez from Colombia (Columnea); Melissa Johnson from the United States (Cyrtandra) | |
| 2012 | EMREF: | no award |
| NDSSEF: | Lianka Cairampoma from Peru (Besleria) | |
| 2011 | EMREF: | Cassandra L. Coleman from the United States (Gasteranthus) |
| NDSSEF: | Laura Clavijo Romero from Colombia (Drymonia) | |
| 2010 | EMREF: | Laura Clavijo Romero from Colombia (Drymonia) |
| NDSSEF: | Jeremy Keene from the United States (Diastema and Monopyle) | |
| 2009 | EMREF: | Marisol Amaya Marquez from Colombia (Columnea); Silvana Martén Rodríguez from Costa Rica (Cuban Gesneriaceae) |
| NDSSEF: | Abdulrokhman Kartonegoro from Indonesia (Gesneriads of Sulawesi, Indonesia) | |
| 2008 | EMREF: | John L. Clark from the United States (field work in Cuba) |
| NDSSEF: | Marcela Mora-Pinto from Colombia (Paradrymonia) | |
| 2007 | EMREF: | no award |
| NDSSEF: | John R. Clark from the United States (Cyrtandra) | |
| 2006 | EMREF: | Claudia Rodriguez-Flores from Colombia (Corytoplectus) |
| NDSSEF: | Josiene Rossini from Brazil (Gesneriaceae in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil) | |
| 2005 | EMREF: | W. Scott Hoover & Jim Hunter from the United States (Gesneriad exploration in Sumbawa, Indonesia) |
| 2004 | EMREF: | John R. Clark & Eric Roalson from the United States (Cyrtandra); Andréa Onofre de Araujo from Brazil (Gloxinia); Silvana Martén-Rodriguez from Costa Rica (Tribe Gesnerieae) |
| 2003 | EMREF: | Mary Fuqua & Scott Hoover from the United States (Gesneriad exploration in Java, Indonesia); John L. Clark from the United States (Alloplectus in Peru) |
| 2002 | EMREF: | Vincent Woo from Canada and New Zealand (Rhabdothamnus); John R. Clark & Bruce Holst from the United States (Gesneriad Research Foundation curation) |