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TUCSON CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY

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Research Grant Program

To support our mission of increasing and disseminating knowledge of cacti and succulents, TCSS has established a research grant program to help fund research by others directly related to cactus and other succulents in our areas of interest.

Background and Scope

  • The Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society (TCSS) is a non-profit organization whose mission is educating, teaching and learning about cacti and other succulent plants of the Sonoran Desert for the benefit of its members.
  • TCSS is establishing a Research Grant program as an adjunct to the ongoing Education Outreach Program.
  • Research projects must involve cactus and/or other succulents and be consistent with the TCSS Mission.
  • Projects shall generally be up to one year in duration; however, extensions are available upon request.
  • Grants will be in the range of $1000 - $2000.

Grant Proposal Requirements

  • The proposal should be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word, rich text, or pdf format
  • The proposal must clearly define the purpose and methods of the project.
  • A specific budget must be provided, including details of travel, and other expenses, and a schedule of planned expenditures.
  • The project must produce a published paper, a report, a TCSS newsletter article, or a presentation to the society.
  • Travel will be reimbursed in accordance with accepted U.S. government rates.
  • An electronic copy of any publications or presentations that result from the research must be provided to TCSS.
  • The project must provide progress reporting appropriate to the scope and duration of the project (a minimum of one page every six months).
  • If the TCSS Grant is to be co-funded, there must be a clear definition of the portion of the project to be funded by the TCSS grant, how it relates to the larger project, and how the TCSS portion meets these guidelines. If it is to be co-funded, the duration of one year may be extended to two years.

Budgetary GuideLines

  • TCSS encourages projects that are co-funded by other organizations as a way to facilitate larger projects.
  • Budgets shall be submitted on a separate form.
  • No grant funds shall be used for equipment in excess of $250 per item.
  • No grant funds shall be used for salary support of the principal investigator.
  • No grant funds shall be used to pay indirect cost.
  • Budgets shall include, but are not limited to: travel, lodging, meals, materials, supplies, operational expenses (e.g. expendable and non-expendable), equipment, and co-funding.

Acknowledgment and Intellectual Property

  • The grant applicant, or his/her parent organization, shall grant to TCSS ownership (co-ownership if co-funded) of any intellectual property resulting from projects funded by the TCSS Research Grant.
  • Support by the TCSS Grant shall be acknowledged in any papers, reports, and/or presentations, e.g. "This project was supported by a grant from the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society."

Process

  • Research Grant Requests should be submitted by email
  • Grants received will be distributed to a review team and recommendations made to the TCSS Board for approval or denial.
  • Grant applicant will be notified of the Board decision by the Research Grant Chairperson within 90 days from submittal.
  • Portions of the grant funding may be withheld until certain stages of the project are completed unless otherwise justified, e.g. 50% at award, 25% at progress report, 25% at completion.

Examples of Research Areas Suitable for TCSS Funding

  • Population characteristics of relatively unstudied cactus and succulent species in southern Arizona.
  • Effects of population growth, economic development, drought, climate change, or other environmental factors on cactus and succulent populations in southern Arizona.
  • Historic native uses of cacti and succulents in Arizona.
  • Potential medicinal uses for Sonoran plants.
  • Value of Sonoran plant diversity.
  • Cultivation techniques for cacti and succulents in southern Arizona.
  • Symbiotic relationships among Sonoran plant and animal species.
  • Introduction of new species.
  • Previous TCSS Research Grants:
    • "Nutritional Analysis of Cylindropuntia versicolor (Staghorn Cholla) Cactus Flower Buds"
    • "Distribution and habitat of the Chihuahuan Desert night-blooming cereus (Peniocereus greggii var. greggii) in La Frontera borderlands of northeastern Sonora"
    • "Survey of the Mule Mountain populations of the succulents Graptopetalum bartramii and Talinum marginatum"
    • "The Saguaro Cactus and Climate Change in Saguaro National Park"

Suggested Outline for your Research Grant Proposal    Word format   or   pdf format

Suggested Cover Page for your Research Grant Proposal      Word format    or   pdf format

Contact Info for Submissions and Further Information

To submit an application or for further information, contact the Research Grant Chairperson by email at:  Research @ TucsonCactus.org

Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society (TCSS)

PO Box 64759  -  Tucson, AZ 85728-4759   -   Phone: (520) 256-2447  -  Email: TCSS@TucsonCactus.org

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