JACK KIMMEL INTERNATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM

The Jack Kimmel International Grant Program, championed by the Canadian TREE Fund, honors the late Jack Kimmel who was the former Director of Parks for the City of Toronto. He is remembered for his contribution of 46 years of leadership to the ISA and its Ontario chapter. Jack Kimmel grants provide much needed funding to arboriculture and urban forestry researchers all over the world. This grant is administered by TREE Fund, with participation from the Canadian TREE Fund in the evaluation process.

Projects are expected to be completed within one to three years. Grant award amounts are limited to a maximum of $10,000 and will vary depending upon the adjudged value of the project relative to the needs of the arboriculture community. TREE Fund requires a match of at least 10% cash or in-kind. Applicants may include institutional overhead costs in the project budget. TREE Fund caps such costs in its grant awards at 10% of total grant value. Unrecovered institutional overhead costs above this cap may be counted toward the required grant match.

No project may receive more than one award from this program. Due to the similarity of the Jack Kimmel International Grant and John Z. Duling Grant, TREE Fund requests that applicants submit to only one of these programs per unique project and funding cycle. Related but unique projects submitted across programs may be considered within a given funding cycle. If identical proposals/projects are submitted to both funding programs within one funding cycle, neither will be considered for review.

Application Process

Applications are due October 1 and will only be accepted through the online application form.

You will need the following to complete the online application:

Project’s purpose, significance, design and goals
Itemized project budget
Information on funds pending or received from other sources (A match of at least 10% is required and may be made in cash, labor costs, in-kind contributions or other material and sub-contract expenses)
Priority Areas

The TREE Fund research priority areas are derived from the Revised National Research and Technology Transfer Agenda for Urban and Community Forestry. Proposals in the following priority areas are more likely to be funded, but all proposals will be considered.

Root and soil management: Many urban tree problems originate below ground. Promoting root development, protecting roots from injury and managing conflicts with infrastructure are issues that arborists encounter regularly. Managing roots includes soil management.
Propagation, planting and establishment: Methods of ensuring survival and vigorous growth of trees after planting are of concern to arborists and the entire green industry. Arborists are increasingly dealing with problems that originate in, or could be avoided during the planting process.

Plant health care: Healthy plants have more effective defense systems and are better able to resist pests. Complete understanding of plant health may lead to new pest control strategies.
Risk assessment and worker safety: Safety is a major concern. It can be a life-or-death issue to both tree workers and the public. Detection of defects, and knowing how they develop, are important. Improved equipment and work practices are needed.
Urban forestry: Management of urban trees and forests requires improved understanding of how urban forest ecosystems function, their management, and how they interact with people in communities and at the urban/rural interface.

Criteria for Selection: Recommendations on grant awards will be presented to the TREE Fund Board of Trustees for final approval at or before the December Board Meeting and will be announced within two weeks of their decision. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Potential impact of the topic: Does the project address a problem/issue within TREE Fund’s mission? Does the project address topics that benefit the everyday work of arborists and urban foresters? Will this project have application to a broad sector of the arboriculture and urban forestry communities? Are there measurable outcomes which will occur as a result of this project?

Approach: Are the methodology and proposed analysis appropriate? Is the project creative or unique in its approach to the problem? If this is a technology transfer project, is the transfer vehicle/method appropriate for the target audience?

Feasibility: Has the investigator demonstrated appropriate qualifications to accomplish the project? Can the project be completed in the given time frame?

Funding: Is there a clear explanation of how funds will be used in the context of the total project budget? Are additional sources of funding for the project being pursued? Is the potential cost/benefit ratio for this project appropriate?
Applications will be scored on the following scale:

Applicant is qualified (10 points)
Applicant has experience (10 points)
Project directly meets one or all TREE Fund priorities (10 points)
Project has clearly stated need (10 points)
Project is clearly linked to arboriculture and/or urban forestry (10 points)
Research has practical application (10 points)
Methods are clear (10 points)
Objectives are achievable within proposed time frame (10 points)
Objectives are achievable within proposed budget (10 points)
Requested funds are matched with at least 10% cash or in-kind (10 points)

TREE Fund does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national or ethnic origin. Current trustees of TREE Fund or any member of the family of any such trustee are ineligible to receive grants from TREE Fund.

It is TREE Fund’s explicit desire that research findings eventually be freely and widely available to any and all parties who may benefit from the author’s work, though TREE Fund recognizes the importance of academic and professional journal publications and will work with grant recipients to ensure that findings are disseminated in a manner that is respectful to all parties’ schedules and needs. Any anticipated proprietary elements of proposed research must be identified clearly in the initial application; should applications fail to make such declarations, TREE Fund reserves the right to negotiate royalties from patents, sales, copyrights, or other commercial results of funded research.

For full details visit:http://www.treefund.org/grants/research-grants/kimmel