Plant Innovation Center Fund

Support fellowships and scholarships to promising graduate and undergraduate students in the College who bring passion for music or art to their study of the sciences, with a preference that the first award each year be made to a graduate student. As funds increase to provide multiple awards, support will be available for both graduate and undergraduate students. • Promising Students. The scholarship committee should seek to award the fellowship or scholarship to students who exhibit academic success and a desire to advance human knowledge. At the undergraduate level this may be evidenced by promising high school indicators (e.g., high school valedictorian or National Merit Scholar), early participation in undergraduate research, and a desire to pursue studies at the graduate level. At the graduate level this may be evidenced by pursuing new research that benefits humanity through broad-reaching impacts and seeking early opportunities to engage in the field through attending professional conferences and publishing research. • Passion for Music or Art. The committee should seek to make these awards to students who are passionate about music or art in addition to science. At the undergraduate or graduate level this may be shown by composing new music, performing in a band, or creating physical or digital art pieces. • Study of the Sciences. The committee should seek to make these awards to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a major in the College who are interested in both becoming an expert in their field and advancing knowledge in that field. The committee shall take into account the following preference of majors in the selection of the recipient: o First Preference: Microbiology and Cell Science; Genetics; Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology; Animal Molecular and Cell Biology; Agricultural and Biological Engineering o Second Preference: Biology; Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; Animal Sciences; Soil and Water Science; Agronomy; Entomology and Nematology; Botany; Environmental Science; Plant Science; Marine Sciences o Least Preferred: Family, Youth and Community Sciences; Food and Resource Economics; Agricultural Education and Communication; Food Science and Human Nutrition; Nutritional Sciences; Plant Medicine; Plant Pathology; Forest Resources and Conservation; Wildlife Ecology and Conservation; Horticultural Sciences - Environmental Horticulture; Horticultural Sciences - Horticultural Sciences; Interdisciplinary Ecology; Agricultural Operations Management; Dietetics; Environmental Management in Agriculture and Natural Resources; Statistics; Natural Resource Conservation; Geomatics; Food Science.

Supports a three year term professorship in Entomology and Nematology at the Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center within the UF Foundation Term Professorship Program. All unexpended funds revert back to the Foundation after three years. Up to half the award can be used to fund the salary plus fringe of the Term Professorship, all of the award may be used to defray research expenses, including graduate assistantship support. Eligible faculty may be untenured, tenured or non-tenure-track, but must have a substantial research assignment and an outstanding record of research accomplishments. Faculty may receive award once during the lifetime of the program.