Applications Invited for Botany in Action Fellowship program

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About the Organization

To inspire and educate all with the beauty and importance of plants; to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research; and to celebrate its historic glasshouse.

Watch President and CEO Richard V. Piacentini's TEDx talk, "What We Can Learn from an Old Glasshouse," to learn about the history and evolution of Phipps.

Explore the beauty and wonders of nature at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, encompassing 15 acres including a 14-room glasshouse and 23 distinct gardens. Experience industry-leading sustainable architecture and green practices, stunning seasonal flower shows, exclusive commissioned exhibits, renowned orchid and bonsai collections and more. Opened in 1893, the historic landmark is just a few miles from downtown Pittsburgh in Schenley Park.

About the Fellowship

The Botany in Action Fellowship program at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens fosters the development of the next generation of plant-based scientists who are committed, first, to excellent research, and second, to educational outreach. Open to PhD students enrolled at US graduate institutions and conducting plant-based scientific research, the program provides each fellow with: 1) $5,000 for use towards research-related expenses at sites in the US or abroad*, 2) an all-expenses paid trip to Phipps, to engage in science outreach training and opportunities to translate and communicate their research to non-scientific, public audiences through written, visual and/or oral means, (contingent on the COVID19 situation) and 3) subsequent opportunities to connect their research with the public through programs, exhibits, and other outreach venues.

Research Priority Areas (listed in no particular order):*

• Ethnobotany, with special interest in plant use for physical and/or psychological well-being;
• Diversity and conservation, particularly in regional (southwest Pennsylvania and adjacent states) and tropical forests;
• Landscape and brownfield restoration, particularly in plant-based ecosystem services;
• Sustainable landscapes;
• Interdisciplinary plant-based research at the intersection of human and environmental health.

For 2022, special consideration is given to the following areas (listed in no particular order):

• Ethnobotany, biocultural conservation and/or plant-based conservation in Hawaii;
• Plant-based ecosystem services for landscape and brownfield restoration;
• Sustainable landscapes in the US, particularly applicable to the southwest Pennsylvania and adjacent states;
• Interdisciplinary plant-based research at the intersection of human and environmental health

Eligibility

All applicants must be:

• Enrolled in a PhD program at a US graduate institution (US citizenship is not required)
• Conducting plant-based research
• Able to travel to Pittsburgh, PA from a location within the US (costs will be reimbursed) for the duration of the Botany in Action Science Engagement Week, which will be September 15-18, 2022 – contingent on the COVID19 situation.
• Able to commit to monthly online outreach (e.g. podcast, blogging, vlogging, etc) after Science Engagement Week.

Deadline: All proposal materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on Jan. 7, 2022.

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