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Plant Conservation Fellowship

 Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Fellowship in Plant Conservation Biology

Purpose

The Plant Conservation Biology Fellowship is awarded annually to one outstanding, early-career practitioner, scholar or scientist working on issues related to plant and landscape conservation in the broad sense.  The goal is to provide advanced graduate students, post-docs, and beginning faculty with an extended stay of  2 - 5 weeks on the Oak Spring estate to undertake independent writing and thinking, away from the day-to-day demands of their other responsibilities.

This is one of our four most prestigious awards and it includes a $10,000 individual grant. While at OSGF, the fellow will be able to meet with staff, explore our 700-acre landscape and our efforts in sustainable land management, and visit our rare book library that holds over 19,000 objects, including many examples of botanical art. The Fellowship is well suited for individuals working on writing projects that require dedicated time and minimal distractions.

OSGF intends to award the Fellowship to an exceptional plant conservation biologist whose research shows remarkable promise to contribute to the conservation of plants, and the landscapes of which they are a part of.  The Fellow will be scheduled to visit when there are other Interdisciplinary Residents or Fellows on site. This scheduling will allow the Fellow to join in communal meals, and optional activities and field trips with other artists, ecologists, researchers, or scholars working on projects related to OSGF’s mission. Beyond time to develop their projects, a Fellow’s typical day at Oak Spring might include a walk to enjoy the landscape or birds; an appointment to visit the Oak Spring Library; and/or a morning spent volunteering at the BCCF or in the formal garden.  These optional activities provide Fellows time to learn from, and interact with our staff.  None of these activities are required, and we understand that some Fellows might want to spend most of their time in their writing or working independently. We support and enable Fellows to use their time as they best see fit. At the culmination of their stay, we encourage, but don’t require, Fellows to give a 20 – 30 minute presentation with time for questions, to Oak Spring staff and any other Fellows, Residents, or program participants who might be on site. 

Application Process

The application portal is now open and will close May 31st, 2024. Please note that there is one application for all of our 2024 Residency and Fellowship programs, and you will be prompted to select which programs you would like to be considered for. You will be asked to submit:

  1. a resume/curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages),

  2. a 200 - 300-word statement on your current work in plant conservation,

  3. a 200 - 300-word statement how your work relates to Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s mission to “perpetuate and share the gifts of Rachel (“Bunny”) Lambert Mellon, including her residence, garden, estate and the Oak Spring Garden Library, to serve the public interest. OSGF is dedicated to inspiring and facilitating scholarship and public dialogue on the history and future of plants, including the culture of gardens and landscapes and the importance of plants for human well-being,”

  4. a 200 - 300 word description of how you anticipate using your time during a 2 - 5 week Residency at OSGF. OSGF does not currently have a laboratory, or laboratory/science equipment. However, our landscape offers an abundance of plant and animal life, and we are especially keen to support practitioners working with the conservation or management of species native to our local area. Successful applicants will also be able to indicate a clear and timely need for the Fellowship. Please keep in mind that the OSGF estate is set in a rural and tranquil setting, and we also welcome applicants who would use the Residency as an opportunity to observe and write, free from other distractions.

  5. a CV/resume

NOTE: When applying to this Fellowship, you will be asked if you are interested in being considered for our Interdisciplinary Residency, if you are not selected for the Fellowship.  To learn more about our Interdisciplinary Residency, please visit www.osgf.org/residencies.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must be early-career practitioners, scholars or scientists, not enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in 2025. The successful Fellow must be self-directed and able to work independently while on site. Applicants are expected to show dedication in their work in plant conservation in the broad sense, exceptional promise, good communication skills and excellence in what they have accomplished or plan to accomplish.

Dates

Fellows should arrive on the same start date of an Interdisciplinary Residency, or Botanical Artist Residency.  The Fellows will complete the introductory tours with these cohorts. In 2025, these dates are:

  • Monday, March 3, 2025

  • Sunday, April 13, 2025 (only available for a 3-week residency)

  • Monday, May 19, 2025

  • Monday, June 30, 2025

  • Sunday, August 10, 2025

  • Monday, September 8, 2025

Award

The $10,000 individual grant associated with this award can be put towards travel to and from OSGF, materials and supplies purchased for their Residency, and other items that will support their work, before or after their stay at OSGF. 

The selected Fellow should make travel arrangements to Dulles International Airport, where Oak Spring will arrange ground transportation for them to our estate in Upperville, VA.  The Fellow will be housed in a nicely appointed shared accommodations. The fellow will have a private bedroom and bathroom, and share a living room and kitchen with 1 – 3 other Residents or Fellows.

Selection

Fellows are carefully selected through a multi-round review process in which OSGF staff, Residency alumni, and external jurors review and score applications. Fellows are ultimately selected by panels of external reviewers who are established and working in fields or practices relevant to OSGF’s mission. The primary criteria for scoring applicants include: an applicant’s current work’s relationship to the OSGF mission; potential of applicant; and quality of work samples. 

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unfortunately not able to provide individualized feedback to applicants who are not selected for a Residency.

Oak Spring Garden Foundation supports individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, creed, abilities/disabilities, or socio-economic status.