Evaluation of applications for the 2018 Endowment Research Awards has been completed by the Science Advisory Committee (Richard Wunderlin, Jon Moore, Kim Zarillo, and Paul Schmalzer). We had 10 applications for awards this year. The size of research grant awards is currently set at not more than $1500. In the past most applications have requested the maximum, but this year several requested less than that. As it turned out two of the highest ranked applications requested $700 and $1000, respectively. The review committee is therefore recommending funding of four awards for a total of $4700 rather than three for $4500 as planned and budgeted. I believe that we have sufficient funds from earnings on the endowment and donations to cover the entire expenditure. We received a $1500 contribution from the Tarflower Chapter and $500 from the Sea Rocket Chapter this year.
The applications being recommended for funding are:
Milton Diaz, Department of Biology, University of Florida “Belowground nonstructural carbohydrate total contents and concentrations in pine savanna species” $1500
Arian Farid and Alan Franck, Herbarium, CMMB, University of South Florida “Molecular ecology of Monotropsis reynoldsiae” $700 (as requested)
Anthony Rossi and Dale Casamatta, Department of Biology, University of North Florida, “Assessing genetic diversity of the highly endangered native semaphore cactus Consolea corallicola and its potential for breeding programs” $1000 (as requested)
Brigette Williams, Saint Louis University “Conservation epigenetics in the highly endangered ‘Florida ziziphus’ (Ziziphus celata, Rhamnaceae) located at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida” $1500
Paul Schmalzer
