Apply Now: Plant Conservation Biology Fellowship

While at OSGF, the fellow will be able to meet with staff, explore their 700-acre landscape and their efforts in sustainable land management, and visit their rare book library that holds over 19,000 objects, including many examples of botanical art. The Fellowship is well suited for individuals working on writing projects that require dedicated time and minimal distractions.

Funding Information

• It includes a $10,000 individual grant.

Costs Covered

• The selected Fellow should make travel arrangements to Dulles International Airport, where Oak Spring will arrange ground transportation for them to their estate in Upperville, VA.
• The Fellow will be housed in a nicely appointed shared accommodations. The fellow will have a private bedroom and bathroom, and share a living room and kitchen with 1 – 3 other Residents or Fellows.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants must be early-career practitioners, scholars or scientists, not enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in 2025.
• The successful Fellow must be self-directed and able to work independently while on site.
• Applicants are expected to show dedication in their work in plant conservation in the broad sense, exceptional promise, good communication skills and excellence in what they have accomplished or plan to accomplish.

Selection Criteria

• Fellows are carefully selected through a multi-round review process in which OSGF staff, Residency alumni, and external jurors review and score applications.
• Fellows are ultimately selected by panels of external reviewers who are established and working in fields or practices relevant to OSGF’s mission. The primary criteria for scoring applicants include: an applicant’s current work’s relationship to the OSGF mission; potential of applicant; and quality of work samples.

Application Requirements

• You will be asked to submit:
  • A resume/curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages),
  • A 200 – 300-word statement on your current work in plant conservation,
  • A 200 – 300-word statement how your work relates to Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s mission,
  • A 200 – 300 word description of how you anticipate using your time during a 2 – 5 week Residency at OSGF. OSGF does not currently have a laboratory, or laboratory/science equipment. However, their landscape offers an abundance of plant and animal life, and they are especially keen to support practitioners working with the conservation or management of species native to their local area. Successful applicants will also be able to indicate a clear and timely need for the Fellowship. Please keep in mind that the OSGF estate is set in a rural and tranquil setting, and they also welcome applicants who would use the Residency as an opportunity to observe and write, free from other distractions.
  • A CV/resume.

For more information, visit OSGF.