Rhododendron Research Network
The Harold Greer Memorial Student Conference Award
This award funds students who are pursuing a degree in horticulture or botanical sciences to attend the 2022 American Rhododendron Society Spring Convention to be held in Portland, OR (https://ars2022.org/), where they will make a poster presentation of their projects related to Rhododendron.
This award is made in honor of noted plantsman and rhododendron expert Harold Greer, who championed education and student support in addition to his immeasurable contribution to Rhododendron horticulture.
The ARS Research Foundation will make up to 5 awards, in the amount of $500 each. The award also includes a free one-year student-category membership to The American Rhododendron Society, and one complementary conference registration. The application period will be open from December 1st to March 1st.
Students will submit the following:
1. A 400-word abstract describing their Rhododendron project and the outcomes of the project.
Please use plain language appropriate for a broad audience. Link to student application form.
2. A letter of support to attend and present at the conference from an academic supervisor (teacher,
advisor, academic counselor). Link to
applicant advisor form.
Applications and letters of recommendation should be sent to the Chair of the American Rhododendron Society Research Committee, Dr. Juliana Medeiros (jmedeiros@holdenfg.org).
Award Selection Criteria: Any project that includes Rhododendron as a dimension of the work will be considered. This can include horticultural pursuits, scientific research projects, conservation or restoration activities, or educational programs that include Rhododendron in the curriculum. Priority will be given to abstracts that describe outcomes that have already been achieved (as opposed to those which present future project ideas).
Disbursements and presentation requirement: Award decisions will be announced by February 15th, 2022. Students will be mailed a personal check in the amount of $500 upon registering for the conference and will be notified at that time of the exact presentation format. The student may use the cash award in any manner related to the conference, including travel, lodging or food. If for any reason the student is not able to attend and present their work at the conference, the student will be asked to refund the $500 cash award to The ARS Research Foundation and forego their complementary conference registration but will keep the one-year membership to The American Rhododendron Society.
Registration & Student Housing: The complementary registration includes attendance to all regular sessions of the conference. Special sessions e.g., conference field trips, are not included. The Chair of the Research Foundation will co-ordinate with conference organizers to identify low-cost housing options for student conference attendees, however, students are ultimately responsible for their own food and lodging during the conference.
Selection Process: The Chair of the Research Committee of the American Rhododendron Society manages the application submission process, securing a panel of reviewers to rank the submitted abstracts, and presenting a summary of the reviewer scores for final decision by the Trustees of the Research Foundation. Reviewers are chosen based on their expertise in Rhododendron, horticulture, education, physiology, genetics, and other relevant scientific fields based on the subject matter of the submitted abstracts.