Research
Evidence for Landscape Architecture Solutions to the Climate and Biodiversity Crises
National Competitive Research Grants from The ASLA Fund
Overview
The American Society of Landscape Architects Fund (The ASLA Fund), a 501(c)(3) organization, invites academic ASLA members or non-members to develop succinct and impactful research reviews that investigate evidence of the benefits of landscape architecture solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises.
The research reviews will be publicly accessible via the ASLA website. The reviews will aggregate the most relevant and credible peer-reviewed evidence for landscape architecture and nature-based solutions that:
- increase the resilience of communities and natural systems to climate impacts
- reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration
- conserve and restore ecosystems and increase biodiversity
- improve water quality and management
Academics will examine research from a range of relevant disciplines, including scientific disciplines, and third-party verified data from projects led by academic and professional practitioners in landscape architecture or that involved significant contributions by them.
The goals of the research reviews are to:
- Understand and summarize the current state of knowledge.
- Synthesize the research literature and provide insights, leveraging key data- and science-based evidence.
- Create accessible executive summaries in plain language for policymakers, community advocates, and practicing landscape architects.
The executive summaries should minimize the use of technical design, planning, or scientific terms, but when used, should include clear definitions of the terms. They should be written with the goal of increasing awareness of the role of landscape architecture solutions and establish credibility among broad audiences by incorporating examples of planning and design projects, supported by evidence and data from the most reputable sources.
The research reviews will be used to advance research, advocacy, and communications goals with a range of audiences:
- Federal, state, and local policy-makers and regulators
- Allied professionals (planners, architects, engineers, ecologists)
- Community leaders, advocates, and activists
- Landscape architects
- Academics and scientists in other disciplines, potential research partners
- Potential donors
- Landscape architecture clients
- Landscape architecture students
Topics
Over the next few years, research grants will be issued to explore solutions to a range of issues, but the first two grants in 2023 will focus on:
Format
Research findings should be consolidated into a written report (Microsoft Word or Google Document) and include the following two sets of deliverables:
Process
The ASLA Fund announced the grant program at the 2023 Council for Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) conference and also via its website. The grant research period will run from June to mid-December 2023.
Proposals and all deliverables will be reviewed by:
Budget
For each research review, The ASLA Fund will provide $12,500, which will be paid in three installments to the grant recipient, i.e., the Principal Investigator’s institution.
The first installment ($3,125) will be paid at the beginning of the project (within 30 days after the grant agreement is signed by The ASLA Fund and the University in May 2023). The second installment ($6,250) upon receipt and approval of phase one deliverables (within 30 days after September 1, 2023). The third installment ($3,125) upon receipt and approval of phase two deliverables (within 30 days after December 15, 2023).
Up to 12% ($1,500) of the total research grant ($12,500) will be allocated for Facilities and Administration costs at the respective university. See The ASLA Fund’s Indirect Cost Policy.
Who Can Apply
ASLA member and non-member academics at a U.S. based institution are encouraged to apply.
To submit a proposal, the grant recipient’s Principal Investigator must be a current member of a U.S. academic institution as a full- or part-time lecturer, or adjunct, assistant, associate, full, or emeritus professor.
The Principal Investigator is encouraged to collaborate with graduate or undergraduate student research assistants, academics at their institution or others, and practitioners to undertake the research project. The research team will be credited and acknowledged in the published research reviews.
The Principal Investigator must have published research in a peer-reviewed journal. Graduate degree is required; in-progress or completed PhD is a plus.
How to Apply
To submit a grant proposal, please provide the following information by Friday, April 28, 2023 11.59 PM EST via one of these forms below:
For either research grant, the following is required:
1) CV (no more than 5 pages, PDF, 11 point size minimum)
2) Cover letter (500 words or less, PDF)
- Outline why you are best suited to advance this research
- Highlight any prior relevant research experience
- Include information about any additional team members that will be contributing to your research effort (full team disclosure is not required)
3) Methodology (500 words or less, PDF)
- Outline your process for finding, documenting, and evaluating the quality and relevance of evidence
- Outline your research review assumptions and potential limitations
- Outline your approach to the analysis and synthesis of the evidence
4) Research sample (PDF)
- One example of published peer-reviewed research paper
5) Writing sample (PDF)
- One example of published narrative writing for non-academic audiences (articles, blog posts, newsletter, etc.); identify if any editor involved
Each of these five application elements will be scored on a scale of 1 to 5 by members of the selection and review panel. Each element will be weighted equally.
Please reach out with any questions at info@asla.org.
Knowledge Sharing
Acknowledgements
Mission of ASLA and The ASLA Fund
ASLA: Empowering our members to design a sustainable and equitable world through landscape architecture.
The ASLA Fund: Investing in global, social, and environmental change through the art and science of landscape architecture.
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