Landscape Architecture Solutions That Address Inland Flooding

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 a succinct and impactful research review that investigates evidence of the benefits of landscape architecture solutions for inland flooding.

The research review 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
• Improve water quality and management
• Conserve and restore ecosystems and increase biodiversity
• Reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration

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 review is 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 summary 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 review 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

Research findings should be consolidated into a written report (Google Document) and include the following deliverables:

The grant research period will run from April 2026 to February 2027.

Proposals and all deliverables will be reviewed by:

• A three member panel of peer academics, including a representative from Landscape Journal.
• ASLA National Team
• Academic, student, and practitioner members of the ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Committee (CBAC) Advocacy Subcommittee

Budget

For each research review, The ASLA Fund will provide $15,000, which will be paid in three installments to the grant recipient, i.e., the Principal Investigator’s institution.

The first installment ($5,000) 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 April 2026). The second installment ($5,000) upon receipt and approval of phase one deliverables (within 30 days after October 1, 2026). The third installment ($5,000) upon receipt and approval of phase two deliverables (within 30 days after January 31, 2023).

Up to 12% ($1,800) of the total research grant ($15,000) 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 3, 2026 11.59 PM EST via this form:

For the 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 [email protected]