GRANTS
Fueling Conservation Through Strategic Support
SCIENCE RESEARCH GRANTS
Science Research Grant
The Florida Native Plant Society maintains an Endowment Grant program for the purpose of funding research on native plants. These are small grants (typically $2,500 or less), awarded for a 1-year period, and intended to support research that forwards the mission of the Florida Native Plant Society "to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida."
Contact: Paul Schmalzer
Contact Email: info@fnps.org
Application Deadline: March 5, 2027
Dr. Barbara Grigg Grant in Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, & Lichens
This grant honors Barbara’s personal research interests by funding a two-year project focused on the study of bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts), pteridophytes (ferns and fern allies), or lichens. This targeted research grant recognizes the vital ecological role these little-known and understudied plant groups play in supporting Florida’s natural systems. The selected project must advance our understanding of the life history and ecology, conservation, or restoration of these species in nature.
Amount: $3,000/year for 2 years
Contact: Paul Schmalzer
Contact Email: info@fnps.org
Application Deadline: March 5, 2027
Dan Austin Grant for Ethnobotany
This award is limited to graduate or undergraduate students who are studying Florida ethnobotany – i.e., the study of the relationship between peoples or cultures with plants native to Florida or Florida ecosystems. These can be current uses or historic uses.
Evaluation Criteria
- Research must focus on Florida native plant species or plant communities.
- Research project must have a human/plant connection.
- Research can include mycology, taxonomy, botany, demographics of medicinal plants, medicinal chemistry, human effects on soils, economic importance, etc.
Amount: $1,600
Contact: John Benton
Contact Email: info@fnps.org
Application Deadline: March 5, 2027
Cornelia McNamara Grant
FNPS funds this grant annually to support applied research on native plants and habitats, particularly those that are rare or imperiled. These are small grants ($1,500 or less), awarded for a 1-year period and intended to support research that will yield data to inform the management for or restoration of native species and habitats. The grant is open to FNPS members, Chapters, colleges and universities, and the public, but with a preference for FNPS members or Chapters.
The renewal of this grant is made possible by a generous donation from Chris Calder, who initiated the grant in 2020. He is a Cuplet Fern member who wants to advance the knowledge of our native plant heritage.
Contact: Paul Schmalzer, PhD
Contact email: info@fnps.org
Application Deadline: March 5, 2027
CONSERVATION GRANT
FNPS Conservation Grants support applied native-plant conservation projects in Florida. Applicants can apply for a grant of up to $5,000 awarded for a 1-year period. applicants interested in funding for more than one year may reapply the following years for additional funding. Projects must promote the preservation, conservation, or restoration of rare or imperiled native plant taxa and rare or imperiled native plant communities.
To qualify for a Conservation Grant, the proposed project must be sponsored by an FNPS Chapter.
Contact: John Benton
Contact Email: conservation@fnps.org
Application Deadline: March 5, 2027
