Applications due March 20, 2025
Vanderbilt University may submit one application to The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust grant program.
Overview
The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust supports education and research in ornamental horticulture. The Trust seeks to fund projects that will further ornamental horticulture at organizations pursuing the following activities:
- The advancement of research in ornamental horticulture and the publication of the results of such research
- Assisting in the creation, development, preservation, and maintenance of gardens accessible to the public for educational purposes
- Promotion of the environmentally responsible introduction, cultivation, and distribution of plants which have ornamental horticultural value
- Assisting in the publication of books or other works relating to ornamental horticulture
- Informal and/or formal educational activities that further ornamental horticulture
The Trust supports projects in North America, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand. Examples of such projects include:
- Development of programs and projects
- Physical improvements
- Signage
- Access
- Equipment
- Publications
- Salaries or stipends, under some circumstances
The Trust does not fund projects concerned primarily with agriculture, environmental issues, science education or horticultural therapy.
The Trust awards grants for project support only. Requests for general operating support are no longer accepted. The Trust does not fund endowments or capital campaigns, nor make grants to individuals.
The maximum grant awarded by the Trust is $25,000, however, grants normally do not exceed $20,000. Grants may be approved for full or partial funding of the requested amount.
The grant period during which funds should be used is the calendar year. For example, for grants awarded in November 2025, the grant period will be Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2026. It is expected that funds will be spent during this year.
The Trust recognizes the hardships gardens and other horticultural organizations experience due to damages caused by natural disasters (storms, fires, earthquakes, flooding, etc.), and welcomes requests from qualified organizations to support damage remediation.
Application Timeline: Vanderbilt’s nominee will submit an LOI to the sponsor by June 16, 2025. Eligible organizations whose LOIs are found to be strongly-aligned with the Trust’s funding interests will be invited by the sponsor to submit a full proposal. If invited, the deadline to submit a full proposal is July 15, 2025.
See the guidelines, funding interests, and FAQs for more information.
Internal Application Instructions
Interested faculty should visit https://vanderbilt.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/1966230 to submit an application for the internal LSO competition and to find additional information about the opportunity. The deadline for the internal VU competition is March 20, 2025.
Any questions about this opportunity or the LSO process may be directed to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.
