PSI establishes Grants Committee and makes first award
Following feedback from members at the AGM in October, the Management Committee of PSI has resolved to offer grants to facilitate Passiflora research, conservation and other projects in pursuance of PSI’s stated mission. These grants are to be open to all suitably qualified persons, whether academics or otherwise.
The first grant has already been made, being US$1,000 towards the cost of a one month field trip to Bolivia led by Yero Kuethe, with the goals of
- Rediscovery of lost Passiflora species, and their documentation, especially in Yero’s planned monograph on the genus
- Discovery of new species to be herbarized and catalogued for official publication
- Assessment of the conservation status of these species
To oversee the administration of these grants, and recommend to it which applications should be accepted, the Management Committee has set up a Grants Committee and appointed its first members who are:
- Markus Varga, PSI Conservation Officer, Convener
- Deborah Austin
- Sergio Lloreda
- John MacDougal
- John Vanderplank
Each calendar year the amount available for that year will be set by the Management Committee. For 2024 the total is expected to amount to US$2,000, to be divided between one or more projects.
The Grants Committee will post further details on this site in due course, including guidelines for applicants and a form of application.
First published on 11 December, 2023.