Apply for a Grant/Scholarship
The Kurt Gottschalk Science Fund
The Kurt Gottschalk Science Fund promotes the transfer of knowledge with projects that advance forestry through new and ongoing research, enhanced technological applications, and diverse continuing education activities to benefits the professional and the public further facilitating science-informed management decisions.
The 2023 Grant Cycle is currently closed. Please send inquiries to [email protected].
About Kurt Gottschalk: Kurt W. Gottschalk, a research scientist with the USDA Forest Service, was passionate about making the connection between applied research and forest management. He had long service to SAF and mentored many young professionals, helping to develop a next generation of leaders. Kurt Gottschalk passed away in 2015 and the SAF Science Fund was re-named in his honor.
Give to the Science Fund
Goals of the fund are to:
- Conduct and/or support continuing education activities and the transfer of knowledge.
- Promote collaboration and relationships among SAF entities and with external groups.
- Recruit and engage diverse leadership in forestry and natural resource professions.
- Conduct and/or support applied forestry research that has potential to inform management practice.
Available Grants
- Regular Grants (up to $2,500) to support projects that meet at least two of the goals of the fund.
- Special Grants (up to $5,000) for demonstrably outstanding projects that achieve at least three of the goals of the fund or that actively span across two or more SAF Working Groups (WG) or WGs and State Societies, or WGs of multiple professional societies
Project Proposal Requirements
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Complete applications include an information form, proposal, and budget form.
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Letter(s) of support from a SAF WG Chair, a State Society Science/Technology Chair, or a Forest Science and Technology Board (FSTB) Subject Area Representative. Proposals will not be considered unless there is at least one letter of support. The letter must include a discussion of the expected benefits of doing the project. Emails for FSTB representatives are accessible within the application.
Eligibility
- Any SAF member, representing either an SAF unit or an external entity, who is the designated project manager is eligible to submit a proposal.
- A grant secured in the first year of a multi-year project is not a guarantee of future grants from the fund in later years of the same project.
- Projects that have already been completed are not eligible.
- Proposals received after a review period deadline will be eligible for consideration in the next cycle.
Grant Completion
Projects should be completed within 1, and where appropriate, up to 2 years of the application date. The FSTB may elect to approve funding for multiple years when needed. A report summarizing the project results (or progress) and how grant funds were used is due upon project completion. Unused funds must be returned to SAF when the project is completed or if the project is not completed.
Proposal Review
Grant proposals will be evaluated against a variety of criteria, including:
- How well the project meets the fund goals
- Completion of application and narrative includes adequate context
- Budget is appropriate and leveraged support is clearly identified
- Project engages partnerships, collaborations, or diverse audiences
- Project outcomes are achievable within the timeline identified
Use of Funding
Proposals must meet two or more of the Fund's goals and can include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Continuing education activities including conferences, panels at convention, field tours, and workshops
- Collaborative efforts such as joint conferences, applied research cooperation between groups and agencies, and interdisciplinary collaboration conference sessions or articles in SAF publications
- Activities that foster leadership and/or broaden SAF's membership base and/or audience/image
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Applied forestry research that has potential to inform management practice, literature reviews, and/or seed money for collecting preliminary data to develop a larger proposal or complete or enhance prior research efforts
Science Fund is not designed to fund:
- Professional salaries
- Office supplies or overhead
- Fund will support up to 50% of the cost for technical/analytical equipment (e.g., computers, field equipment, software).
Decisions and Fund Dispersal
Grant funds must be received and managed by an appropriate entity – e.g., a university/department grants office, State Society treasurer, or agency fiscal office. Requests for exceptions will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Approved grant funds will generally be made available within 60 days of notification that the proposal has been accepted and funds awarded.