The Sinnott Award provides support for scholars in the botanical sciences to conduct research that utilizes the living collection of the Arnold Arboretum. Numbering some 15,000 plants, the living collection is distinguished as one of the most thoroughly documented collections of temperate woody plants in the world. Additional Arboretum resources include the herbarium, library and archives, and state-of-the art laboratories.
The Sinnott Award enables the Arnold Arboretum to support original research by visiting scholars, foster collegial exchanges and partnerships, and demonstrate the research value of the Arboretum’s collections.
Awards of up to $7,000 are granted to support research expenses and/or travel expenses associated with the proposed research. Awards are not intended to serve as a salary stipend for the applicant. Preference is given to those applicants that will be in residence at the Arboretum for a portion of the research.
Application Information
Awards are granted through a competitive review process. Selection of recipient(s) will be based on the educational background of the applicant and their readiness to conduct the proposed research; the quality of the proposed research; and the relevance of the proposed research to the living collections of the Arnold Arboretum.
To be considered for an award, online applications should include the following:
- Cover letter.
- Research statement. The statement should be 1 to 2-pages and describes your research project and how additional funding via the Sinnott Award would further your research aims. Include how the living collection of the Arnold Arboretum will be utilized. References should be included but do not count as part of the page limit.
- Research budget. Applicants should submit a simple, 1-page budget that itemizes the research and travel costs associated with the proposed project.
- Project time-line. Applicants should submit a time-line of the project and anticipated start and end dates.
- Curriculum vitae.
- Two letters of recommendation for applicants that are not Faculty or Principal Investigators. As part of the online submission, you must send a request to the two referees to submit a letter of recommendation (via the request section). The referee will be automatically sent an email with a link to an online submission form where they will upload a letter of recommendation. It is highly recommended that you contact your referee prior to sending the request. Please inform the referee to expect an email from Admin@communityforce.com with instructions for submitting a recommendation letter. Each referee must upload his/her letter of recommendation via the link by February 1.
Special Eligibility Requirements
Applications are sought from early-career individuals including advanced undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research associates and assistant professors.
Additional Information
For questions about the award, Arboretum resources, research proposal or submission process, contact the selection committee (Email).
The Sinnott Award is made possible by the generosity of numerous donors to the Edmund Sinnott Arboretum Collections Training Fund.