Botany in Action Fellowship Program 2026 (Funded)

Deadline: January 9, 2026

Applications are open for the Botany in Action Fellowship Program 2026. The Botany in Action Fellowship program at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens fosters the development of the next generation of plant-based scientists who are committed, first, to excellent research, and second, to educational outreach. A BIA Fellowship consists of one year of support for research funding and educational outreach, as well as life-long membership in a growing network of plant-based scientists connecting their research with the public. 

The following topics are priority areas:

• Ethnobotany, with special interest in plant use for physical and/or psychological well-being
• Diversity and biocultural conservation and/or plant-based conservation, particularly in regional (southwest Pennsylvania and adjacent states) and tropical forests
• Landscape and brownfield restoration, particularly in plant-based ecosystem services
• Sustainable landscapes
• Interdisciplinary plant-based research at the intersection of human and environmental health
• Food systems science related to regenerative agriculture, traditional knowledge of diverse food plants, or underutilized crops for food security

Benefits

The program provides each fellow with:

• $6,000 for use towards research and outreach related expenses at sites in the US or abroad*,
• An all-expenses paid trip to Phipps, to engage in science outreach training and opportunities to translate and communicate their research to public audiences through written, visual and/or oral means, and
• Subsequent opportunities to connect their research with the public through programs, exhibits, and other outreach venues.

Eligibility

All applicants must be:

• Enrolled in a PhD program at a US graduate institution (US citizenship is not required)
• Conducting plant-based research
• Able to travel to Pittsburgh, PA from a location within the US (costs will be reimbursed) for the duration of the Botany in Action Science Engagement Week, which will be September 24-27, 2026.
• Able to commit to monthly online outreach (e.g. podcast, blogging, vlogging, etc.) after Science Engagement Week.
• For previous fellows applying for renewed funding: clear, tangible outreach goals and outcomes in addition to research accomplishments from the previous year.

Application

The Proposal and CV must be saved together as a single WORD or PDF file, with the proposal appearing first. The file name should start with the applicant’s last name, followed by the term ‘BIA’, funding year pursued, and ‘App’ (e.g. Smith_BIA_2026_App.pdf). If submitting a PDF, include an additional WORD file with Applicant Contact Information, University, Research Site, Recommender Information, Proposal Title and Two Abstracts. All application materials should be emailed to [email protected] with subject line ‘BIA 2026 application’ followed by applicant’s last name.

Each recommendation letter must be sent directly from the recommender. The letter should be saved as a PDF file and named as follows, with underscores between each section: applicant’s last name, ‘BIA’, funding year pursued, ‘Rec’, ‘R’ if supporting research or ‘O’ if supporting outreach, and recommender’s last name (e.g. Smith_BIA_2026_Rec_O_McGuire.pdf). These should be emailed to [email protected].

All proposal materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 9, 2026. 

For more information, visit Botany in Action.