The California Landscape Contractors Association has funds available to support applied research projects on water conservation and natural resource management as they relate to landscape design, installation or maintenance, as well as projects designed to quantify and improve the understanding of the environmental benefits of landscaping.
Project proposals are invited from qualified professional researchers at universities, colleges and other research organizations. Grant awards will vary from $1,000 to $10,000 for one to three years, depending on a project's needs and the priority value of the proposed research to the landscape industry.
Projects in which CLCA funding serves as seed money or can be leveraged to achieve greater impact will be given high consideration, as will projects in which results can be easily translated into improved industry practices. Funds cannot be used to pay for overhead expenses or principal investigators' salaries. Grant recipients are expected to submit an annual written and/or oral report of progress and a final report of accomplishments and findings.
Completed applications must be received (not postmarked) by Dec. 7, 2009. Proposals that do not conform to these standards will be rejected. Applicants will be notified of the action on their proposals by Dec. 18, 2009.
Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel that includes research scientists and landscape industry professionals. The following criteria will be used to judge proposals:
* Does the proposed research address an issue or problem that is a high priority of the landscape industry?
* Do the investigators have the necessary qualifications to carry out the proposed research?
* Are the goals and objectives of the proposed research clearly stated?
* Is the approach creative and are the proposed methods technically sound?
* Are the resources available adequate for successfully achieving the goals of the project?
* Is it likely the project will be completed in the time frame planned?
To receive an application and additional information, please contact Larry Rohlfes at CLCA, 1491 River Park Drive, #100, Sacramento, CA 95815-4501, (916) 830-2780, or larryrohlfes@clca.org