Green-Wood Research Award in Human/Nature Interactions

Green-Wood Research Award in Human/Nature Interactions

Overview: The Green-Wood Research Award in Human/Nature Interactions provides support for emerging investigators and designers to conduct original research or design work that utilizes the location, landscape and/or collections of Green-Wood Cemetery and Historic Fund to advance the study of the relationship between humans and nature.

Geographic Scope: Not limited to universities in the United States or to United States citizens. International applicants welcome.

Funding Amount: Awards up to a maximum of $4,000 per year. Applicants are encouraged to leverage and combine funds with other sources of financial support to foster more ambitious projects.

Focus Areas: Research and design work spanning natural, social, and health sciences, and design fields that focus on human/nature interactions. Sample topics include:

Bereavement

Physical and behavioral health

Gentrification

Environmental justice and colonial legacy

Urban climate resilience

Green burial and religious ritual

Ecological landscape design

About Green-Wood: A world-renowned arboretum featuring a dynamic living collection of approximately 8,000 specimens representing 695 taxa, 61 taxonomic families, and 159 different genera. Green-Wood's living collection sequesters 264,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide annually, removes 12,000 lbs. of pollution from the air, and mitigates 2,620,000 gallons of stormwater. Also houses expansive historical and cultural archives and collections.

Eligibility:

Emerging investigators including graduate students, early-career faculty, NGO-affiliated staff

Those trained in natural, social, and health sciences, and design fields

Special consideration may be given to advanced undergraduate students

Applicants should be well positioned to conduct original, independent research or design work

Must be fluent in English

Special consideration given to groups under-represented in their fields of practice

Award Benefits: In addition to monetary award, researchers receive:

Access to landscape assets

Data associated with plant records and wildlife

Map layers and Esri GIS software and mobile app tools

Support staff (equipment operation, electricians for monitoring devices)

Storage space for equipment

Freezers and refrigerators for temporary sample storage

Office space with desktops

Multi-Year Projects: Eligible for continued funding, but renewal proposal and progress report required annually. Entire cohort reviewed collectively each year—no guarantee of continued funding.

Deliverables:

Award recipients expected to participate in public education program in latter half of award term

Final report due by March 1 of award end year

Reports made available to stakeholders via Internet and/or printed form

Should include figures, tables, photographs, and documentation in style accessible to non-scientists

Project Term: February 15 to January 31 (12-month award cycle)

Selection Criteria: Reviewed through competitive process by Green-Wood staff and qualified experts. Selection based on:

Expertise of applicant and readiness to conduct proposed study

Quality of proposed study

Relevance to Green-Wood's collections and award goals

Contact: researchaward@green-wood.com