Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture

CLASS Fund Research Grant

CELA (Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture)

CLASS Fund Research Grant

2022 – 2023 BOB CARDOZA CLASS FUND RESEARCH GRANT RECIPENT

Salvador Lindquist, Assist. Professor, University of Nebraska

Mission

The mission of the Bob Cardoza CLASS Fund Research Grant is to advance the body of knowledge for the landscape industry.

Overview

Bob Cardoza/CLASS Fund has a cooperative relationship with CELA (Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture) involving the solicitation and review of research proposals related to the landscape industry.

To accomplish its mission, CLASS Fund (https://www.classfund.org/ ) supports scholarship and research among academic units in landscape architecture, horticulture and related fields, both in California and in other states, provinces or jurisdictions in which CELA (www.thecela.org) institutions are located. Calls for Proposals for the Bob Cardoza CLASS Fund Research Grant are issued bi-annually. They are reviewed by a selection committee assembled to select the most appropriate proposal. The fund amount is approximately $25,000 or as otherwise determined by the CLASS Fund Board of Directors. CELA’s indirect cost policy limits overhead to 12%; it is the responsibility of the applicant(s) to work this out with their respective universities.

The Bob Cardoza/CLASS Fund Research Grant is made every other year, depending on Fund availability, to encourage innovative research ideas related to landscape architecture, horticulture, or landscape contracting in the following subject areas: issues surrounding climate change, such as resilience, stormwater management, air quality, urban heat island effect, green infrastructure, and decarbonization; sustainable or alternative transportation; community capacity building or development; social, cultural, and environmental capital. Research with interdisciplinary nature or potentials to create resilient solutions that address social, economic, or environmental sustainability is welcome.

Faculty from all CELA member schools in good standing within the continental USA are eligible to submit proposals. Faculty in landscape industry fields from other colleges and universities within the continental USA may also submit proposals.

CLASS Fund reserves the right not to award a Research Grant if it is deemed by the selection committee that the submissions do not meet the CLASS Fund requirements. CLASS Fund may award multiple smaller awards if deemed more appropriate by the selection committee.

Payment of the fund will occur in quarterly increments upon successful completion of the relevant work for that period. A timeline is provided for all funded parties to develop deliverables and utilize the funding. No extensions for utilizing the funding outside of this timeline will be provided, and recipients of the CELA/CLASS Fund will be subject to all reporting and fund release dates specified within the timeline and contract.

Proposals must include

The cover page should be on a separate sheet that can be easily removed fora blind review. In addition, there must be no identifying information on the main proposal except for the researchers' CVs. Project title: Researchers: (PI): Name, Title, Affiliation, Email, Phone # (co-PI): Name, Title, Affiliation, Email, Phone # (Research Staff): Name, Title, Affiliation, Email, Phone
See example worksheet in packet
Main proposal text must include:
  1. Abstract (50-word maximum)
  2. Research Problem Statement (100-word maximum)
  3. Background and Significance (two-page maximum - single line, 12 pt. font)
  4. Objectives of Study (one-page maximum - single line, 12 pt. font)
  5. Work Plan including schedule of activities (three - page maximum)
  6. Reference
List of deliverables.
Summary CV (three-page maximum) for listed researchers, including current position, education, background, research experience, selected publications, and so on.

Submission Process

Selection Process

CELA will issue the Call for Proposals via email and on the CELA website.   A selection committee chaired by the CELA Vice President for Research & Creative Scholarship shall submit for review and approval to the Bob Cardoza/CLASS Fund Board of Directors, or its designated representatives, its recommendation of the successful proposal(s). Awardees will be notified by the selection committee.   The Selection Committee includes:
ORGANIZATIONTITLENUMBERVOTING/NON-VOTING
CELAVice President for Research & Creative Scholarship, Chair1Voting
CELAAdditional representative from CELA (from the Standing Committee on Research or appropriate alternative identified by CELA)1Voting
CLASS FundCLASS Fund Chair or a designated representative as otherwise selected by the CLASS Fund Board of Directors1Voting
CLASS FundAdditional representatives from CLASS Fund2Voting
CELAExecutive Director1Non-Voting
(CLASS Fund and CELA reserve the right to modify membership of the selection committee.)  
Selection Criteria (which may guide the selection committee in its deliberations)  
  • Does the proposal meet all the requirements in the Call, including format, grammar, page limit, budget, and so on?
  • Is the proposed study innovative? Does it represent a new or significantly expanded area of knowledge in terms of breadth and depth?
  • Are the methods appropriate to the work proposed?
  • Does the proposal demonstrate adequate preparation on the part of the researcher?
  • Is the project feasible? Can the question(s) be answered by the methods and timeframe proposed?
  • Does the researcher(s) have the capacity and resources necessary to successfully complete the proposed work?
  • Does the proposed study have the potential to provide solutions to real-world problems?
  • Does the proposal include undergraduate/graduate students as research assistants to foster future professionals?
  • Does the proposed study support collaboration across disciplines or support social, economic or environmental sustainability?
  • Does the proposal have potential to enhance on-going or future research?
Calendar (2022-2023)
  • July 2022: Call for proposals is announced.
  • October 6, 2022: All proposals are due through the submission portal. Deadline of 5:00 pm Eastern.
  • October 7, 2022: CELA staff shares all proposals with the Selection Committee.
  • By November 7, 2022: Following two weeks for proposal review, members of the Selection Committee meet via Zoom call to discuss, rank, and decide on the 1st and 2nd (The 2nd choice will not be notified unless the 1st choice withdraws.) The CLASS Fund is then notified of the top ranked proposal. If no objections are raised, the candidate(s) are notified by CELA (CLASS Fund copied) no later than December 9, 2022.
  • By December 15: Recipient(s) coordinate with CLASS Fund to confirm timeline for reporting and fund distribution (March 15, 2023, June 15, 2023, Sept. 15, 2023, Dec. 15, 2023). Recipient(s) should begin project in December 2022 as soon as notification is made.
  • At the subsequent meetings of all the organizations (CLASS Fund and CELA) and in the next issue of a trade magazine and/or other appropriate outlet, the winner will be announced. If the winner is present at any of the meetings, they will be
Timeline for Deliverables
  • No later than 12 months after the award the draft products must be delivered to CELA which will distribute them to the expert panel for Revisions may be requested. Quarterly updates will be due to CLASS Fund and CELA prior to interim payments being released.
March 15, 2023June 15, 2023Sept. 15, 2023Dec. 15, 2023
  • No later than 12 months after the award, the final products must be delivered to CELA for distribution to the participating groups: CLASS Fund and This is to include final products or summary items of final products that can be posted on CELA and CLASS Fund home pages. The authors are encouraged to publish findings in appropriate venues or to present findings to appropriate professional or scholarly outlets. When so doing authors are required to give appropriate credit to CLASS Fund and to CELA. Specifically, The California Landscape Architectural Student Scholarship Fund (CLASS Fund) is to be acknowledged as the funding source in all materials.
  • Selected results may be used by CLASS Fund or CELA in promotional materials to highlight past award winners and their projects.
  • The timeline will be for 12 months from the date that the grant is awarded, beginning in December of the awarding year, and ending in December of the following year. No extensions will be provided outside of this timeline.
Funding Bob Cardoza/CLASS Fund will award the sum of $25,000 to the successful proposal for research during
  • Payment of the fund will occur in quarterly increments upon successful completion of work, and submission of quarterly reports to the Chair of the CLASS Fund Research Grant covering the relevant work for that period.
  • Payments may be adjusted according to specific requirements of recipient’s institution. CELA's indirect cost policy limits overhead and indirect to 12%. It is the responsibility of the applicant(s) to work this out with their respective universities.
The study is to be conducted within the 2023 calendar year and must adhere to the timelines listed above, unless special circumstances arise and are communicated to and extension approved by CLASS Chair.

Faculty members from member institutions in good standing in the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) are eligible. Members of the Selection Committee are not eligible.

All proposals are to be submitted via the submission portal. Proposal cover pages and summary CVs must be detachable for Selection Committee review. Each page must include page numbers and the title of the research proposal in the footer. Submittals are due to CELA no later than 5:00 pm Eastern, Thursday, October 6, 2022.

Proposal Format

Cover Page Including:

Project title: Researchers:

(PI): Name, Title, Affiliation, Email, Phone # (co-PI): Name, Title, Affiliation, Email, Phone # (Research Staff): Name, Title, Affiliation, Email, Phone

Main Proposal Text (See page 4 of this PDF)
Budget Summary 2020-21 CLASS Fund Research Award Budget Worksheet*

Report Submission Format

  1. Cover page with identifying information, including project title, investigators and date
  2. Table of Contents including a list of tables, images, figures and page numbers
  3. Executive Summary
  4. Introduction to the issue/problem under study including:
    1. brief summary of relevant past research on the topic(s)
    2. problem statement or issues under study
  5. Description of data collection and analysis methods
  6. Description of results
  7. Discussion of implications of results in light of the question, past research, and current situation
  8. Application to practice in landscape architecture, contracting, horticulture and/or related fields
  9. Recommendations for future research (optional)
  10. Conclusion
  11. References
  12. Appendices (as needed)
Submission Deadline: Thursday, October, 6, 2024, 5pm Eastern

Submittals                                                                                                                                    

All proposals are to be submitted via the submission portal.

Proposal cover pages and summary CVs must be detachable for the Selection Committee review.
Each page must include page numbers and the title of the research proposal in the footer. Submittals are due to CELA no later than 5:00 pm Eastern, Thursday, October 6, 2024.

Questions

Questions about proposal preparation may be submitted to Sarah Little, CELA VPR and Chair of CELA’s Standing Committee on Research & Creative Scholarship, research@thecela.org

 

For general questions, please contact CELA at staff@thecela.org AND director@thecela.org

 

Click Here to Download Information about the CLASS Fund Research Award