Shiu-Ying Hu Student/ Postdoctoral Exchange Award Grant

Shiu-Ying Hu Student/ Postdoctoral Exchange Award Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Amount: Up to US $10,000
Last Updated: December 23, 2025

Summary

The Shiu-Ying Hu Student/Postdoctoral Exchange Award facilitates collaborative research between American and Chinese scholars in the field of woody plant biology. Established in honor of Professor Shiu-Ying Hu's contributions to botanical science, it supports graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from the People's Republic of China or Harvard University. Awardees can explore living collections at the Arnold Arboretum or conduct field studies in China, enhancing cross-cultural academic exchange and scientific discovery.

Overview

Background Professor Shiu-Ying Hu (1910-2012) made innumerable and important contributions to botanical science through her vast knowledge, collecting activities and research, writings and publications, and tireless personal devotion to the plant kingdom. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, she made her mark in the field of plant taxonomy as Emeritus Senior Research Fellow of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and Honorary Professor of Chinese Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. An internationally-recognized authority on Ilex (hollies), Hemerocaulis (daylilies), Paulownia, Compositae (daisies), and Orchidaceae (orchids), Professor Hu collected and identified as many as 185,000 plant specimens and published more than 160 papers over the course of her lifetime. Professor Hu’s work as a researcher and teacher inspired multiple generations of botanical students around the world, particularly those interested in the flora of her native China and its disjunct companion species in North America. As the steward of one of the world’s premiere collections of Chinese plants (held outside of Asia), the Arnold Arboretum served as a focal training ground for Shiu-Ying Hu after she became the first Chinese woman to earn a doctorate in botany from Harvard University. The Shiu-Ying Hu Student/Postdoctoral Exchange Award is made possible by the generosity  of family, friends, colleagues, and admirers of eminent Chinese botanist and taxonomist Professor Shiu-Ying Hu (1910-2012).

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The Shiu-Ying Hu Student/Postdoctoral Exchange Award supports American-Chinese exchanges for graduate students, advanced undergraduate students, and/or postdoctoral researchers studying the comparative biology of woody plants, including: developmental biologyphysiologygeneticsreproductive biologyecologyAwards are granted to support awardee travel, research and/or living expenses.Applicants must be students or post-doctoral researchers from either the People’s Republic of China OR from Harvard University.Awardee(s) chosen from the People’s Republic of China will receive funds to conduct studies involving the living collections at the Arnold Arboretum.Awardee(s) from Harvard University will receive funds to conduct studies in the field or at a botanical institution in China.

Ineligibility

Awards are not intended to serve as a salary stipend.