IPS ENDOWMENT GRANT INFORMATION

[Cindy Adair]

The IPS does much more than provide money for Palmtalk. One important function of the IPS is to provide financial assistance to specific research projects through annual grants. The IPS allocates $20,000 to $25,000 each year for this purpose.

IPS president Leland Lai along with scientific botanical experts Scott Zona, Larry Noblick and John Dransfield volunteer their time to send the proposals on to appropriate independent experts who review the submissions. Afterwards, the committee makes recommendations for the Board’s ultimate discussion and decisions. Until his untimely passing, Jim Cain chaired the Endowment committee.

I have agreed to serve as an acting Chairman to coordinate the process until elections are complete next May. The deadline, usually December 1, has this year been extended until March 1, 2014.

Application and contact information is available on the IPS website by clicking here. Examples of research grant awards awarded in 2013 include studies on the genus Hydriastele, Palms of the Republic of Congo, Floral scents of European palms, Palms of Southern Vietnam, Palm carbon accumulation and Oenocarpus bataua fruit production’s effects on survival. For exact titles and author information with amounts awarded, see PALMS, Volume 57(4) which will be available online here soon. The total amount for all studies in 2013 came to $25,902.

A quick scan of some of the 2013 PALMS journals shows two articles which acknowledge support from the IPS. They are on Palms of Micronesia and Palms of Southern Cameroon for a total of 27 pages of information with striking photos of palms in habitat.

Your dues help support important research and fulfill the IPS mission statement: The International Palm Society, Inc. is operated solely and exclusively for scientific and/or educational purposes related to the study of palms, their propagation, culture, conservation, care, and development.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I believe that endowment money is also sometimes granted to palm collections, not just to research botanists. Without looking again at the recent supplement, I believe some money went to a public garden and some went to a private collection.

[_Keith]

Post retracted.

[realarch]

Thank you Cindy for taking on this responsibility. I have no doubt you will succeed in filling some 'big shoes.'

Tim

[Cindy Adair]

I believe that endowment money is also sometimes granted to palm collections, not just to research botanists. Without looking again at the recent supplement, I believe some money went to a public garden and some went to a private collection.

The Jeff and Suchin Marcus collection did receive consideration and review by the Endowment Committee and later the Board at the 2012 meeting in Thailand. I was present as an observer. The Board voted to suggest reapplication after some suggested modification for the next year which did occur.

In Peru at the Interim meeting, the Board decided to award $3,500, but not out of the Endowment fund. I'll be glad to copy and paste the specifics when I have access to the document at home late tonight (unless someone on Palmtalk beats me to it).

This garden award is unusual for the committee and is not generally an expected committee function.

As to past specific garden awards, I would defer to others to report if it has ever happened before. From the discussion in Thailand, I don't think so. Again even though the application was made to the Endowment committee, the funds used were separate from the research grant dollars.

I don't believe there are any restrictions on the location for the research just the quality/scientific validity. Many proposals include Field and herbarium and Botanical Garden studies.

[Cindy Adair]

Thank you Cindy for taking on this responsibility. I have no doubt you will succeed in filling some 'big shoes.'

Tim

Thanks Tim. I have no hope of filling Jim Cain's shoes as he did so much for the IPS. I'm just trying to learn to follow in his footsteps with this one committee.

[Cindy Adair]

So for those non-IPS members who didn't receive a paper copy of the PALMS December supplement, Here's the full notice of the award I mentioned previously:

An additional US$3,500 grant from the IPS General Fund was made to Jeffrey L. Marcus, Floribunda Palms & Exotics, Mt. View, Hawaii for funding for the garden repository of these diverse palms that Floribunda has developed. It was determined that this palm collection has potential to educate students and enthusiasts. The IPS Board of Directors determined that this grant should be made, albeit from the General Fund. The funds for this grant were not taken from the endowment budget since the project did not fall under research or benefit of a non-commercial entity.

The full article detailing the awards in 2013 along with the rest of the supplement will eventually be on the main IPS website (click on the Palmtalk icon at the top of every page and look under publications at the top). As of this morning, only the September supplement is up.