Ecological Society of America

Maintenance Grant

The SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter program offers a Maintenance Grant to support Chapters. This grant is intended to ensure that each Chapter has funds to establish itself and/or sustain its presence on campus and beyond.

Uses of Maintenance Grant funds include, but are not limited to:
Promotional Materials: posterboard, markers, tape, advertising space, etc. to promote the Chapter and advertise activities or events
Institutional Fees: money that may be required by the institution for a student organization (i.e. registration fees)
Fundraising Materials: supplies such as venue rental, food, materials, etc. to sponsor a fundraiser

Maintenance Grant Guidelines

Scope and Size of Awards
Maintenance Grants will be awarded up to $500. The amount requested must be reflective of the amount and scope of materials. A Chapter may apply for only one Maintenance Grant during each academic year. ESA is in the position to provide funding for SEEDS chapters solely through the generous support of our donors. It is our policy that we do not pay any indirect or overhead costs (0%) on a grants or awards given to selected individual or institutional recipients in our program activities.

Eligibility
The SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter must be in good standing with the college or university and with the SEEDS program. This requires maintaining accurate activity and financial records, submitting reports when required, and meeting membership requirements. Any late or outstanding issues may deem the Chapter ineligible to apply for a Maintenance Grant.

Application Timeline
For the 2007-08 academic year, applications may be submitted at any time between September 4, 2007 and March 1, 2008. Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis.

Selection Criteria
Awards will be made on the basis of the strength of the application and the cost effectiveness of the proposed activities/materials. A selection committee of Ecological Society of America members will only evaluate complete applications.

Evaluation and Reporting
ESA will monitor the effectiveness of the grant through periodic assessment. This may include contact via email, phone, or a visit to the Chapter. No report is required for Maintenance Grants.

Maintenance Grant Application Information

Maintenance Grant Application [Microsoft Word]
Right click on the "Maintenance Grant Application" link above, select "Save Target As..." from the menu options, and save the Microsoft Word file to your computer or storage device. The default file name is maintenance_application.doc.

Complete the application form linked above by typing information directly into the table cells in Microsoft Word. Email the completed application file to seeds@esa.org by March 1, 2008. Application hard copies are not necessary and are discouraged. Any relevant application materials that cannot be sent electronically (brochures, flyers, etc.) may be mailed to: SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapters; Ecological Society of America; 1990 M Street NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036.

Special Project Grant

The SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter program also offers a Special Project Grant to support Chapter activities and projects which further the mission of SEEDS. This funding ensures the program can support innovative Chapter project ideas that promote ecology to underrepresented students. Each project must clearly support the mission of SEEDS – stimulating and nurturing the interest of underrepresented students in ecology – and incorporate ecological science and its communication through education and/or research.

Themes and examples of Special Projects include, but are not limited to:
Outreach activities: campus-wide projects, projects with K-12 students and/or teachers, community members, etc.
Research activities: supporting opportunities for students and faculty to conduct and communicate ecology research.
Career development: hosting a seminar series for students on-campus; holding a career day for all Campus Ecology Chapters; stipends for visiting ecologists.
Curriculum development: introducing or improving an ecology-related course or laboratory; collaborating with other Chapters on a cross-campus ecology research project
Student development: research stipends to support students in conducting ecology research at a home or nearby institution; student travel to professional meetings.
Faculty development: leading a faculty development/resource sharing workshop among Chapters; hosting a K-12 teacher workshop; faculty travel to professional meetings; hosting a seminar series.

Special Project Grant Guidelines

Scope and Size of Awards
Special Project Grants will be awarded up to $5000. The amount requested must be reflective of the size and scope of the project. ESA is in the position to provide funding for SEEDS chapters solely through the generous support of our donors. It is our policy that we do not pay any indirect or overhead costs (0%) on a grants or awards given to selected individual or institutional recipients in our program activities.

Eligibility
(1) The SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter must be in good standing with the college or university and with the SEEDS program. This requires maintaining accurate activity and financial records, submitting reports when required, and meeting membership requirements. Any late or outstanding issues may deem the Chapter ineligible for a Special Project Grant.
(2) New Chapters must be established for at least 60 days (from the date of the acceptance letter) to be eligible for a Special Project Grant.
(3) A Chapter may submit only one Special Project Grant proposal per review period.
(4) A Chapter may only have two ongoing Special Projects at one time.

Selection Criteria
Obtaining a Special Project Grant is a competitive process and awards will be made on the basis of the strength of the proposal and the cost effectiveness of the proposed activities in furthering the mission of SEEDS and promoting ecological science education and/or research. Higher ranking will be given to projects with broad impact and dissemination and to those that include matching funds (anything from a small campus fundraiser to large institutional support). A selection committee of Ecological Society of America members will only evaluate complete proposals.

Evaluation and Reporting
ESA will monitor the effectiveness of the project through periodic assessment. This may include contact via email, phone, or a visit to the Chapter. Faculty and students are encouraged to provide informal updates to ESA staff throughout the term of the special project by email or phone. A final report must also be submitted no later than 30 days after the indicated project end date.
Special Project Grant Report Guidelines [Microsoft Word]

Special Project Grant Proposal Submission

Proposal Submission
Each proposal must include the cover sheet, budget worksheet, and follow the proposal guidelines. It is recommended that Chapters closely follow these guidelines for a competitive proposal.

Proposal review deadlines for the 2008-2009 academic year are November 1, 2008 and May 1, 2009.  Late proposals cannot be accepted.

Email the completed proposal including cover sheet, budget spreadsheet, and any relevant materials such as photos or appendices to seeds@esa.org by the proposal deadline. Proposal hard copies are not necessary and are discouraged. Any relevant proposal materials that cannot be sent electronically may be mailed to: SEEDS Special Project Grants; Ecological Society of America; 1990 M Street NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036.

Proposal Submission Timeline
Proposal deadline: Submission
4 weeks from deadline: Receive letter notifying acceptance or decline; if your proposal is accepted, enclosed agreement form must be returned within 2 weeks.
6 weeks from deadline: Deadline to return agreement form; check request submitted to ESA Finance Office.
10 weeks from deadline: Receive grant funds
As per the timeline above, a project with a start date less than ten weeks from the submission deadline will not considered.

Forms
Cover Sheet [Microsoft Word]
Proposal Guidelines [Microsoft Word]
Budget Worksheet [Microsoft Excel]
Grant Report Guidelines [Microsoft Word]