Research Assistance Grants

Research assistance grants support needed research in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). These grants help fund and promote research that provides a basis for park management decisions.

Purpose

Grants help start important GSMNP research by providing initial funding for:

• Graduate students and professors to get started with data collection
• Researchers competing for larger grants
• Researchers extending focus to address park management issues

Funding

• Amount: As little as $2,000 can help initiate research; FOTS seeks donations to provide approximately $8,000 annually for research assistance grants
• Recurrence: Annual

Geographic Scope

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), Tennessee and North Carolina

Research Focus Areas

Previous grant-funded research includes:

• Plant population genetics and genetic diversity assessment
• Wildlife monitoring (flying squirrels, salamanders)
• Fire ecology and forest regeneration
• Dragonfly monitoring and aquatic research
• Pine seedling regeneration after wildfire

Example Projects Supported

• DNA analysis of GSMNP plant populations to assess genetic diversity and conservation status (conducted by UNC-Asheville and Appalachian State University)
• Ultrasonic sound detectors to monitor endangered Carolina Northern Flying Squirrels
• Short-term effects of wildfire on salamander populations
• Role of fire fungi on pine seedlings' regeneration after wildfire

Contact Information

• Donations can be made to FOTS for research assistance grants
• Paul Super, Science Supervisor at Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center at Purchase Knob (available for inquiries)

Application Process

No detailed application process is provided in the available materials.

To Apply:

1. Contact Friends of the Smokies directly regarding research assistance grant applications
2. Proposals should address research needs relevant to GSMNP management
3. Funding decisions made by park science supervisors and FOTS staff

Contact:

• Friends of the Smokies
• Phone: 800-845-5665
• Mail: PO Box 1660, Kodak, TN 37764
• Website: friendsofthesmokies.org